Perhaps best known for his distinct yodelling, he charted more than seventy singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980, including the Number One hits 'I'm Movin' On' and 'I Don't Hurt Anymore'. Performing in lavish and colourful sequin-studded suits, Snow had a career covering six decades during which he sold more than 80 million albums, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1979.
THERE IS A HANK SNOW MUSEUM CLOSE TO BROOKLYN IN LIVERPOOL, NOVA SCOTIA, APPROPRIATELY, IT IS HOUSED IN AN ABANDONED TRAIN STATION. VERY WELL DONE
I reckon Hank Snow was better known for his distinctive self taught guitar style. Hank was influenced by the famous Rail road blues singer Jimmie Rodgers and though Hank did copy Rodgers style in his early days, including the "blue yodel" he later abandoned this and developed his own gritty style of singing. His guitar playing was so good he once cut a duet album of guitar music with the late Chet Atkins, master country Guitarist and music producer for RCA Victor. Hank was with RCA Victor label for almost 50 years and towards the end of his waning career RCA dropped him, just before he would have celebrated his half century with that label-always thought that was a bit mean of them.. Hank Snow and his Rainbow ranch boys, with Chubby Hayes on fiddle gave really great live concerts and the singing and playing they did was superlative and sounded as good as, if not equal to their recorded works.
Jimmie the Kid
Hank Snow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's a brakeman you all know
He was born in Mississippi, away down south
And he flagged on the T. and N. O.
He yodeled to fame on the Boston Main
The Wabash and the T. P.
From the old Grand Trunk to the cotton belt
[YODEL]
On the Lehigh Valley, he yodeled awhile
Then he went to the Nickel Plate
From the old Lake Shore and the Erie Line
He yodeled to a Cadillac Eight.
[YODEL]
He yodeled his way to the C. & A.
The Lackawanna and I. C.
He rode a rattler called the Cannon Ball
Then he yodeled on the M. K. & T.
[YODEL ]
Now the story goes that Jimmie the Kid
Has a yodeling mama so sweet
They go "Cadillac-ing" every night
And they yodel up and down the street.
[YODEL]
He rode freight trains from East to West
He's fixed himself up nice
He's got a beautiful home, all of his own
It's the yodeler's paradise.
[YODEL]
They've treated him good,
They've treated him bad
He never done any wrong
He yodels a yodel that ever'body knows
Is the yodeling brakeman's song.
Hank Snow's "Jimmie the Kid" tells the story of a famous brakeman who made a name for himself not only for his work on the trains, but for his yodeling talents. Jimmie the Kid was born in Mississippi and began his career as a flagman on the T. and N. O. railway line. However, he quickly rose to fame across multiple railways, yodeling his way from the Boston Main to the cotton belt and even the Santa Fe. He has yodeled on trains like the Grand Trunk and the Erie Line.
Jimmie the Kid's fame as a yodeler is evident throughout the song, as he yodeled his way onto multiple railway lines, including Lehigh Valley, Nickel Plate, C.&A., Lackawanna, I.C., M.K. & T. and more. The song also mentions Jimmie the Kid's mother, who apparently is also a yodeler, and they are known for their street-side yodeling sessions when they go out "Cadillac-ing" every night. The song ends on a happy note, revealing that Jimmie the Kid has done well for himself over the years, having a beautiful home and a reputation as a kind-hearted yodeling brakeman, known all over for his yodeling talent.
Overall, the song celebrates the life and career of Jimmie the Kid, who made a name for himself through his talents on the railways and his remarkable yodeling voice.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll tell you a story of Jimmie the Kid
I'm going to recount a tale about a man named Jimmie the Kid
He's a brakeman you all know
He's a common worker you've all heard of called a brakeman
He was born in Mississippi, away down south
He was brought into this world in the southern state of Mississippi
And he flagged on the T. and N. O.
And he signaled on the train line named the T. and N. O.
He yodeled to fame on the Boston Main
He became famous by yodeling on the Boston Main train line
The Wabash and the T. P.
Along with the Wabash and the T.P. lines
From the old Grand Trunk to the cotton belt
He extended his fame from the Grand Trunk line to the cotton belt
He yodeled on the Santa Fe.
And yodeled on the Santa Fe train line
[YODEL]
A brief interlude where he does a yodeling refrain
On the Lehigh Valley, he yodeled awhile
During his time on the Lehigh Valley line, he sang in his unique yodeling style for some time
Then he went to the Nickel Plate
He then switched to working on the Nickel Plate line
From the old Lake Shore and the Erie Line
He made his way along the Lake Shore and Erie Lines
He yodeled to a Cadillac Eight.
He yodeled so well that he earned himself enough money to afford a Cadillac Eight
[YODEL]
Another interlude where he yodels
He yodeled his way to the C. & A.
His yodeling continued as he moved to the C. & A. line
The Lackawanna and I. C.
He then yodeled on the Lackawanna and I.C. lines
He rode a rattler called the Cannon Ball
He then traveled on a train named the Cannon Ball
Then he yodeled on the M. K. & T.
And finally, he continued his yodeling as a worker on the M. K. & T. train line
[YODEL ]
Another yodeling segment
Now the story goes that Jimmie the Kid
As the story is told, Jimmie the Kid
Has a yodeling mama so sweet
Had a mother who had a beautiful yodeling voice
They go "Cadillac-ing" every night
Every evening, they enjoyed drives in their high-end car
And they yodel up and down the street.
As they drove, they sang and yodeled for all to hear
[YODEL]
Yet another short yodeling section
He rode freight trains from East to West
Jimmie rode on freight trains from the East coast to the West coast
He's fixed himself up nice
Jimmie has made a good life for himself
He's got a beautiful home, all of his own
He has a lovely home that he owns himself
It's the yodeler's paradise.
It's a wonderful place for a talented yodeler like Jimmie
[YODEL]
One last yodel to close the song
They've treated him good,
Overall, he's been treated well
They've treated him bad
But, like anyone, he's also had some negative experiences
He never done any wrong
Jimmi has never been involved in any wrongdoing
He yodels a yodel that ever'body knows
But what he's really known for is his unique yodeling style that everyone recognizes
Is the yodeling brakeman's song.
It's become the quintessential song for a yodeling brakeman like Jimmie the Kid.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
purlin31622
on On The Beach At Waikiki
Should be spelled 'Honikau, a wikiwiki' per original 1915 sheet music at https://www.sheetmusicsinger.com/on-the-beach-at-waikiki/
Lowrie
on Galveston Rose
Lyric shouldn't have a question mark at the end; no big deal!