He became the host of the popular Washington D.C. TV program Town and Country Time and, with his Texas Wildcats, became regional favorites. Both Patsy Cline and Roy Clark got their starts with Dean, who eventually fired Clark, his lead guitarist, for chronic tardiness. Patsy Cline and Dean were good friends during the run of the TV run of Town and Country Time in the mid-50s. He had his first hit, "Bummin' Around," in 1953 on the 4-Star label, which went Top 5, Country.
By 1958 he was recording for Columbia for whom he had a Pop (non-Country) hit with "Little Sandy Sleightfoot", a Christmas novelty number. Dean moved to New York in the 1950s where he hosted another TV variety show for CBS. He became best known internationally for his 1961 song "Big Bad John," recorded in Nashville, that went to No.1 on the Billboard charts and was a pop hit in the UK.. The song won Dean the 1962 Grammy for Best Country & Western Recording. He had several more Top 40 songs including a Top 10 in 1962 with "PT-109", a song in honor of PT-109 and John F. Kennedy. He followed that up with "Dear Ivan" which he wrote. It hit #9 Country and was also a Top 20 crossover success.
In 1959, he'd become the regular host of the CBS morning program. In the early 1960s he also hosted the Tonight Show on occasion and one night introduced Roy Clark, with whom he'd remained friendly, to a wider audience, helping advance Clark's career. In 1962 Dean also had a double sided hit with the recitation "To A Sleeping Beauty" coupled with "The Cajun Queen", harking back to "Big Bad John".
His mid-1960s ABC TV variety show was one of the first to present country artists with some dignity and class. Roger Miller, George Jones, Charlie Rich, Buck Owens and some like Joe Maphis, who seldom got any network TV exposure. He's also best remembered for his regular sketches with one of Jim Henson's long running muppets, Rowlf the Dog. Many guests, not remotely related to country music appeared on the show, as it was considered a solid entertainment program, and it offered the priceless "exposure" that is the food and drink to performers.
When the show ended, he began to dabble in acting in the late 1960s, with his best-known role being that of millionaire Willard Whyte in the 1971 James Bond movie, Diamonds Are Forever. He also performed around the country. He was mentioned in the Madonna song "Vogue" and in the 2006 Def Leppard song "Rock On".
Jimmy Dean passed away on Sunday June 13th 2010 at home on the banks of the James River near Richmond, Virginia following a lengthy illness which had left him wheelchair bound. He was 81 years old. He is survived by his widow, Donna, and two granddaughters, Caroline and Brianna.
Medley
Jimmy Dean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Noel Sherman - Joe Sherman)
« © '62 Sneco Music »
Ramblin' rose ramblin' rose why you ramble heaven knows
Wild and wind blown that's how you've grown
Who can cling to a ramblin' rose
(Hank Williams)
« © '52 Fred Rose Music »
Your cheatin' heart will make you weep
You'll cry and cry you'll try to sleep
But sleep won't come the whole night through
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you
JAMBALAYA (ON THE BAYOU)
(Hank Williams)
« © '52 Fred Rose Music »
Goodbye Joe me gotta go me oh my oh
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
My Yvonne the sweetest one me oh my oh
Son of a gun we're gonna have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and fillet gumbo
Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
I'M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY
(Hank Williams)
« © '49 Fred Rose Music »
Hear the lonesome whippoorwill he sounds too blue to fly
And as I wonder where you are I'm so lonesome I could cry
KING OF THE ROAD
(Roger Miller)
« © '64 Tree Publishing »
Trailer for sale or rent rooms to left fifty cents
No phone no pool no pets I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah but two hours of pushing broom gets a eight by twelve four bit room
Well I'm a man of means by no means king of the road
King of the road king of the road
TUMBLING TUMBLEWEEDS
(Bob Nolan)
« © '34 Williamson Music »
See them tumbling down pledging their love to the ground
Lonely but free I'll be found
Drifting along with a tumbling tumbleweeds
Cares of the past are behind nowhere to go but I'll find
Just where the trail will wind
Drifitng along with a tumbling tumbleweeds
I CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU
(Don Gibson)
« © '58 Acuff-Rose Music »
I can't stop loving you I've made up my mind
To live in memories of the lonesome times
I can't stop wanting you oh it's useless to say
So I'll just spend my life in dreams of yesterday
The Jimmy Dean Medley is a compilation of seven different songs by various artists. The first song, Ramblin' Rose, is performed with a slow, steady pace that matches the melancholic lyrics about a girl who constantly wanders and cannot be tied down. The next song, Your Cheatin' Heart, picks up the pace with a more upbeat, country feel. The lyrics describe the heartache of a person who has been betrayed by their lover, unable to hide the pain even as they try to sleep.
Jambalaya (On The Bayou) has a fun and lively tune that invites listeners to join in. The lyrics paint a picture of a happy scene, of someone going to see their loved ones and enjoying some of the best food in Louisiana. The song features a catchy chorus and a memorable melody that will have listeners humming along all day. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry brings the tone back down to a more somber state with the sound of a lonesome bird calling out in the night. The lyrics are full of regret and longing, as the singer wonders where their loved one is and how they can make them come back.
King of the Road has a bouncy tune that is sure to get toes tapping. The lyrics describe a man who is content with the simple things in life, and doesn't need much to be happy. The song's catchy sound and catchy lyrics made it one of Jimmy Dean's biggest hits. Tumbling Tumbleweeds has a slow and mournful tune, combined with lyrics that touch on the idea of being free but also alone. The final song, I Can't Stop Loving You, is a slow ballad about a love that still endures, even though the relationship has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
Ramblin' rose ramblin' rose why you ramble heaven knows
Why do you roam around, Ramblin' Rose? No one knows why you have grown wild and free.
Wild and wind blown that's how you've grown
Your freedom and wild spirit have shaped you into who you are.
Who can cling to a ramblin' rose
Given your freedom and your tendency to wander, it's difficult for anyone to hold on to you.
Your cheatin' heart will make you weep
If you deceive someone, it will cause you pain and sadness.
You'll cry and cry you'll try to sleep
You'll spend your nights in tears trying to fall asleep.
But sleep won't come the whole night through
You'll be unable to rest peacefully because of the guilt you feel.
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you
Your guilt and infidelity will not remain a secret forever - people will find out eventually.
Goodbye Joe me gotta go me oh my oh
I have to say goodbye to you, Joe - it's time for me to go.
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
I have to go down the bayou and pole my boat along the water.
My Yvonne the sweetest one me oh my oh
Yvonne, the sweetest woman, oh my goodness.
Son of a gun we're gonna have big fun on the bayou
We're going to have a lot of fun on the bayou, son of a gun!
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and fillet gumbo
We'll eat jambalaya, crawfish pie, and fillet gumbo tonight.
Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Because tonight, I'm going to see my 'cher amio' (my dear friend).
Pick guitar fill fruit jar and be gay-o
We'll play the guitar, fill up the fruit jar, and have a good time.
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
We're going to have an amazing time on the bayou!
Hear the lonesome whippoorwill he sounds too blue to fly
I hear the lonesome sound of the whippoorwill - he sounds too sad to be able to fly.
And as I wonder where you are I'm so lonesome I could cry
As I think about where you are and how far away you are from me, I feel incredibly lonely and sad.
Trailer for sale or rent rooms to left fifty cents
I'm selling or renting out a trailer with rooms for fifty cents to the left.
No phone no pool no pets I ain't got no cigarettes
Unfortunately, there is no phone, pool, or pets in the trailer, and I don't have any cigarettes.
Ah but two hours of pushing broom gets a eight by twelve four bit room
If I spend two hours cleaning up, I can get an eight by twelve room that costs just four bits (a quarter).
Well I'm a man of means by no means king of the road
I have a little bit of money, but by no means am I rich or the king of the road.
King of the road king of the road
Even though I'm not wealthy, I still feel proud and confident.
See them tumbling down pledging their love to the ground
The tumbleweeds roll along, showing their love to the earth.
Lonely but free I'll be found
Even though I feel lonely, I am still free and unattached.
Drifting along with a tumbling tumbleweeds
I'll keep moving as the tumbleweeds do, free and unattached to any one place.
Cares of the past are behind nowhere to go but I'll find
I'm leaving all my troubles in the past; I don't know where I'm going, but I'll figure it out.
Just where the trail will wind
I'll keep moving along whatever path presents itself.
Drifitng along with a tumbling tumbleweeds
I'm going with the flow, riding the wind like the rolling tumbleweeds.
I can't stop loving you I've made up my mind
I love you so much that I know I'll never be able to stop, since I've already made up my mind about it.
To live in memories of the lonesome times
I'll live in the memories of the times I was most alone and missing you, cherishing them because they were still times when I loved you.
I can't stop wanting you oh it's useless to say
I can't stop wanting you and despite this, it's useless to try and to say otherwise.
So I'll just spend my life in dreams of yesterday
I'll spend the rest of my life dreaming about the times when we were together in the past.
Contributed by Kennedy S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jack Wynne Music
Amazing
Harald Trittner
A wonderful, superb and "tall" Country Music Medley☝️Jimmy Dean is one of the most underrated Singers ever...His Voice was really great👍! I ❤️ it
Michael Tuz
Great medley of classic Country & Western songs by the breakfast sausage man!
You can't go wrong with tunes by Eddy Arnold, Don Gibson and Hank Williams!
Love this!!!
Ron Rice
Before there was Jimmy Dean's pure pork sausage there was ... Jimmy Dean! So smooth and bluesy. Great intonation! At 3:58 he plugs his left ear, which helps you hesr your own voice better, to hesr the pitch. By the way, that band/orchestra is fantastic, as are the backup singers. Outstanding job all around. Would love to see Matthew McConaughey play him in a movie!
Lauren McClure
why thank you, my dad sings on stage right-
John St George
Jimmy Dean was Mr Smooth. His talent was great! I'm going to say it: He's as cool as Dean Martin.
Harald Trittner
...as cool as Dean🤔? NO!
That 70's Girl
That was Beautiful... 🌈💙
Made me think of my parents. Those Good Old Days... when we sat on Saturday nights with my parents and watched their Country and Western shows. Thats how it was if you wanted to watch Television. I Miss it! Thank you for sharing! 💖
Michael Tuz
These were the songs that my parents were listening to when I was a kid as well. Great music and wonderful nostalgia in this medley!
Harald Trittner
@Michael Tuz I LOVE THESE SONGS...💯%👍