Like Elvis Presley, he was raised singing the Christian gospel music of integrated southern Pentecostal churches. In 1950 he attended Southwestern Bible Institute in Texas but was expelled for misconduct, including playing rock and roll versions of hymns in church. Pearry Green (then president of the student body) related how during a talent show Jerry played some worldly music. The next morning the Dean of the school called both Jerry and Pearry into his office to expel them both. Jerry then said that Pearry shouldn't be expelled because "he didn't know what I was going to do." Years later Pearry asked Jerry: "Are you still playing the devil's music?" Jerry replied, "Yes, I am. But you know it's strange, the same music that they kicked me out of school for is the same kind of music they play in their churches today. The difference is, I know I am playing for the devil and they don't."
Leaving religious music behind, he became a part of the burgeoning new rock and roll sound, cutting his first record in 1954. Two years later, at Sun Records studio in Memphis, Tennessee, producer and engineer Jack Clement discovered and recorded Lewis for the Sun label, while owner Sam Phillips was away on a trip to Florida. As a result, Lewis joined Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash as stars who began their recording careers at Sun Studios around this same time.
Lewis' first recording at Sun studios was his own distinct version of the country ballad Crazy Arms. In 1957, his piano and the pure rock and roll sound of Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On propelled him to international fame. Great Balls of Fire soon followed, and would become his biggest hit. Watching and listening to Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis said if he could play the piano like that, he'd quit singing. Lewis' early billing was Jerry Lee Lewis and his Pumping Piano.
Lewis was a pioneer of piano rock, not only through his sound by also through his dynamic performance. He would often kick the piano bench out of the way to play standing, rake his hands up and down the keyboard for dramatic accent, and even sit down on it. His frenetic performance style can be seen in films such as High School Confidential (he sang the title song from the back of a flatbed truck), and Jamboree. These performance techniques have been adopted by recent piano rock artists, notably admirer Elton John.
Billy Boy
Jerry Lee Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, where have you been, Charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife, she's the joy of my whole life
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Where does she live, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Oh, where does she live, Charming Billy?
She lives on the hill, forty miles from the mill
Did she bid you to come in, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she bid you to come in, Charming Billy?
Yes, she bade me to come in, there's a dimple in her chin
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Did she take your hat, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she take your hat, Charming Billy?
Yes, she took my hat and she threw it at the cat
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Did she set for you a chair, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she set for you a chair, Charming Billy?
Yes, she set for me a chair, she has ringlets in her hair
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Can she cook and can she spin, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she cook and can she spin, Charming Billy?
She can cook and she can spin, she can do most anything
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she bake a cherry pie, Charming Billy?
She can bake a cherry pie, quick as a cat can wink her eye
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Can she make a feather bed, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a feather bed, Charming Billy?
She can make a feather bed and put pillows at the head
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Can she make a pudding well, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a pudding well, Charming Billy?
She can make a pudding well, I can tell it by the smell
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Can she milk a heifer calf, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she milk a heifer calf, Charming Billy?
Yes, she can, and not miss the bucket more than half
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Is she often seen at church, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Is she often seen at church, Charming Billy?
Yes, she's often seen at church, with her bonnet white as birch
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
And is she very tall, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
And is she very tall, Charming Billy?
She's as tall as any pine, and as straight as a pumpkin vine
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Are her eyes very bright, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Are her eyes very bright, Charming Billy?
Yes, her eyes are very bright, but alas, they're minus sight
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Can she sing a pretty song, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she sing a pretty song, Charming Billy?
She can sing a pretty song, but she often sings it wrong
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
How old may she be, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
How old may she be, Charming Billy?
Three times six and four times seven, twenty-eight and eleven
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Is she fit to be a wife, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Is she fit to be a wife, Charming Billy?
She's as fit to be a wife as a fork fits to a knife
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
The lyrics of "Billy Boy" tell a story of a young man named Billy in search of a wife. He describes meeting a young woman who he believes is perfect for him, but notes that she cannot leave her mother. The lyrics are a conversation between the singer and Billy, with the singer asking questions and Billy answering them.
The lyrics highlight the theme of youth and the constraints of society in that era. Billy appears to have found a perfect match in the young woman, but societal norms forbid her from leaving her mother. The focus on the woman's domestic skills, such as cooking, spinning, and making a feather bed, reflects the gender roles of the time.
The repetition of the line "But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother" reinforces the theme of societal constraints on young women. The repetition also creates a sense of rhythm and melody, making it an easy song to sing along to.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Asking where Billy has been
I have been to seek a wife, she's the joy of my whole life / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Explaining that he has been seeking for a wife, but she cannot leave her mother due to her young age
She lives on the hill, forty miles from the mill / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Revealing the location of the young girl he is interested in, but again mentioning that she cannot leave her mother
Yes, she bade me to come in, there's a dimple in her chin / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Confirming that the girl he is interested in invited him in, but reiterating that she cannot leave her mother
Yes, she took my hat and she threw it at the cat / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Sharing a playful moment with the girl, but still emphasizing that she is unable to leave her mother
Yes, she set for me a chair, she has ringlets in her hair / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Describing how the girl prepared a seat for him and mentioning her appearance, but once more pointing out her inability to leave her mother
She can cook and she can spin, she can do most anything / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Highlighting the girl's domestic skills and versatility, but emphasizing that she is still too young to leave her mother
She can bake a cherry pie, quick as a cat can wink her eye / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Impressing with the girl's baking abilities, but stressing that she remains bound to her mother
She can make a feather bed and put pillows at the head / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Acknowledging the girl's talent for making a cozy bed, but underscoring her inability to leave her mother
She can make a pudding well, I can tell it by the smell / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Complimenting the girl's pudding-making skills based on the enticing smell, but reminding the listener that she cannot leave her mother
Yes, she can, and not miss the bucket more than half / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Confirming that the girl can milk a heifer calf with ease, but restating that she cannot leave her mother
Yes, she's often seen at church, with her bonnet white as birch / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Noting the girl's regular attendance at church and her outfit, but repeating that she cannot leave her mother due to her age
She's as tall as any pine, and as straight as a pumpkin vine / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Comparing the girl's height and posture to nature, but stressing that she is still too young to leave her mother
Yes, her eyes are very bright, but alas, they're minus sight / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Admiring the brightness of the girl's eyes, but revealing that she has poor vision and cannot leave her mother anyway
She can sing a pretty song, but she often sings it wrong / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Listening to the girl's singing abilities and admitting that she sometimes sings off-key, but still acknowledging that she cannot leave her mother due to her age
Three times six and four times seven, twenty-eight and eleven / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Answering a question about the girl's age with a calculation, followed by the reminder that she cannot leave her mother because of her youth
She's as fit to be a wife as a fork fits to a knife / But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Asserting that the girl is an excellent match for marriage, but emphasizing once again that she cannot leave her mother due to her young age
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: PAT JR PATRICK, TRADITIONAL, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chris Bowen
Great job, Jerry Lee!
Andrzej Teść Gunara
JLL!!!. Only Jerry!!!. Artysta doskonały, niezwykle kreatywny!. Słucham Go z wielką satysfakcją. Z byle czego potrafi zrobić arcydzieło. Perełkę!. Bardzo żałuję, że w swoim repertuarze pominął Solamente Una Vez, czyli You Belong To My Heart. To było by wydarzenie artystyczne, a wzbogacone o Jego solówkę na fortepianie (równie porywającą jak do Mexicali Rose (1962) wersja fast), przebiło by każde wykonanie.
countrychess
My favorite version of this tune. 👍
Gary Spring
the one and only the great jerry lee lewis
Gary Spring
wow jerry lee boy wow. this is great.
Le Normand
CHARMING JERRY!