Jack Earls grew up on a farm in Manchester, Tennessee in a family of seven children. He sang as a child and began playing guitar at 16; at 17 he moved to Memphis and formed his first band there in 1949. In 1950, he married and quickly had children; his music-making was temporarily sidelined, but in 1954, he formed a new band featuring guitarist Johnny Black (Bill Black's brother).
This band recorded a demo at Sam Phillips's recording studio in mid-1955, "A Fool For Lovin' You" (written by Earls himself). Phillips expressed interest but told him he'd need to find a new backing band. Ears had Black move to upright bass, and Warren Gregory took up lead guitar; Danny Wahlquist joined on drums. Their next recording session for Phillips resulted in the songs "Slow Down" and "Hey Jim". Phillips released "Slow Down" on his own Sun Records under the name Jim Earls & the Jimbos, and the song became a regional hit, though Earls was unable to tour behind the record due to family obligations. Earls recorded several further songs for Sun, but none of them were released until many years later.
Earls's contract with Sun expired in January 1957, and despite being contacted by Meteor and King, Earls declined to record, though he did occasionally perform in Memphis until he and his family moved to Detroit in 1963. He worked for Chrysler on an assembly line for several years, and recorded a few further singles in the 1970s for Olympic Records, none of which attracted attention.
In the 1990s, Earls noted the growing interest in rockabilly in Europe, and traveled to England, where he became a star on the country revival circuit. Subsequently his output was re-released on Bear Family Records, and he toured Europe and America into the 2000s.
Slow Down
Jack Earls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You be the wheels, I be the spokes baby
When you start a-turnin', my heart will start a-burnin'
Slow down, baby slow down
Slow down, baby you're speedin'
My ha-ha- heart goin' round and round
You livin' too fast, you got so much class
Slow down, baby slow down
Oh yeah, I know I should leave you mama
And go out to another town
But I don't know why I can't say goodbye
All I can say is baby slow down
Slow down, baby you're speedin'
Got my ha-ha-heart goin' round and round
You livin' too fast, you got so much class
Slow down, baby slow down
Slow down, baby you're speedin'
Got my ha-ha- heart goin' round and round
You livin' too fast, you got so much class
Slow down, baby slow down
The song Slow Down by Jack Earls is a classic rock and roll tune about a love interest who is living life too quickly. The singer compares himself to the spokes in a wheel, with his love interest being the wheel itself. As soon as she begins to turn, his heart starts to burn with desire. However, he warns her that she's going too fast and needs to slow down before his heart starts going "round and round." The singer acknowledges that he should leave her and move on to another town, but he can't seem to say goodbye. The only thing he can do is plead with her to take things a bit slower.
The lyrics of Slow Down speak to the timeless essence of rock and roll music: a rebellious spirit that wants to break free from societal norms and live life on its own terms. The metaphor of the wheel and spokes is particularly evocative, as it suggests that the two lovers are inextricably intertwined and that one cannot function without the other.
Interestingly, Jack Earls was a relatively obscure figure in the rockabilly scene, known primarily for his association with the legendary Sun Records label. However, his music has endured over the years, with Slow Down being covered by numerous artists, including The Beatles, who recorded a version of the song during their early days in Hamburg.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey! You be the wheels, I be the spokes baby
You take the lead in this relationship, I will support you and be there for you.
When you start a-turnin', my heart will start a-burnin'
Your actions and feelings affect me deeply, and when you show passion, it ignites the same in me.
Slow down, baby slow down
Take a step back and relax, enjoy the moment and don't rush through life.
Slow down, baby you're speedin'
You're moving too quickly and need to take a break.
My ha-ha- heart goin' round and round
My emotions are in turmoil, and I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster.
You livin' too fast, you got so much class
You're always on the move, and your elegance and charm make it hard for others to keep up.
Oh yeah, I know I should leave you mama
I understand that I should move on from this relationship.
And go out to another town
I should explore new opportunities and meet new people.
But I don't know why I can't say goodbye
Despite knowing I should leave, I find it hard to let go.
All I can say is baby slow down
I'm asking you to take a step back, and I hope that we can slow down together.
Writer(s): EARLS JACK
Contributed by Scarlett D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
AMP
The Lyrics:
SLOW DOWN
Hey! You be the wheels, I be the spokes baby
You be the wheels, I be the spokes baby
When you start a-turnin', my heart will start a-burnin'
Slow down, baby slow down
Slow down, baby you're speedin'
My ha-ha- heart goin' round and round
You livin' too fast, you got so much class
Slow down, baby slow down
Oh yeah, I know I should leave you mama
And go out to another town
But I don't know why I can't say goodbye
All I can say is baby slow down
Slow down, baby you're speedin'
Got my ha-ha-heart goin' round and round
You livin' too fast, you got so much class
Slow down, baby slow down
Slow down, baby you're speedin'
Got my ha-ha- heart goin' round and round
You livin' too fast, you got so much class
Slow down, baby slow down
Slick Andrews
Rest in peace, Jack...
We'll sure miss you.
You were my inspiration when I first really discovered Rockabilly when I was fourteen... SLOW DOWN was the very first song I ever performed in front of an audience.
I remember the several happy times that our paths crossed... I still own the guitar that I lent you to perform with one time... I'll cherish it forever because one of my Heroes played it!
And just like you, I'm "gonna like Rock N Roll until I die"...
Rock! Bop!
Heidi Fuqua
this is a great song. I love his voice.
AMP
The Lyrics:
SLOW DOWN
Hey! You be the wheels, I be the spokes baby
You be the wheels, I be the spokes baby
When you start a-turnin', my heart will start a-burnin'
Slow down, baby slow down
Slow down, baby you're speedin'
My ha-ha- heart goin' round and round
You livin' too fast, you got so much class
Slow down, baby slow down
Oh yeah, I know I should leave you mama
And go out to another town
But I don't know why I can't say goodbye
All I can say is baby slow down
Slow down, baby you're speedin'
Got my ha-ha-heart goin' round and round
You livin' too fast, you got so much class
Slow down, baby slow down
Slow down, baby you're speedin'
Got my ha-ha- heart goin' round and round
You livin' too fast, you got so much class
Slow down, baby slow down
Lisa Lucka
I love that you put the lyrics up here and that this song is still being heard. You see, this cool cat is my Dad. My maiden name is Earls.
Christopher Johansson
@Lisa Lucka That's so cool! Your Dad rocks and may his health be good!
Treff
Man, that's so cool, Lisa! Your pops blew the roof off the joint on this one! Take care and thank you to your father, this is one of the best tunes on this Sun Records compilation I just bought - great voice and energy from Jack!
Slick Andrews
Rest in peace, Jack...
We'll sure miss you.
You were my inspiration when I first really discovered Rockabilly when I was fourteen... SLOW DOWN was the very first song I ever performed in front of an audience.
I remember the several happy times that our paths crossed... I still own the guitar that I lent you to perform with one time... I'll cherish it forever because one of my Heroes played it!
And just like you, I'm "gonna like Rock N Roll until I die"...
Rock! Bop!
Brandon Mckenna
That Jack Earls track is smokin'!!!!
MildlyFrustrated
Ikr
Johnny 06
RIP Jack Earls. Thank you for your music.
Luna Wytch
Ahh great tune, great memories of my Rockabilly days â¤