Reynolds was a regular on the "oldies" circuit and a successful businessman in the U.S. Southwest. Beginning in the 1980s several compilations of his music were issued in the U.S. and Europe, and he enjoyed modest acclaim as a pioneer of rockabilly music.
In 1999 Reynolds was honored with both a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Palm Springs Walk of Stars and induction into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Ralph Joseph Reynolds was born in Denver, Colorado, and was raised in the small town of Shady Grove, Oklahoma. Inspired by Western Swing and artists such as Bob Wills, Hank Thompson, and Eddy Arnold, who he heard on the radio, Reynolds took up guitar at age 14. He began playing rockabilly in Texas in the mid-1950s after hearing performers such as Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison.
While performing in San Diego, California, Reynolds met music publisher Herb Montel. Montel rejected several songs offered by Reynolds, but after hearing his composition "Endless Sleep", got him signed to Demon Records and began managing him.
Inspired by the haunting sound of Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel", Reynolds wrote "Endless Sleep" while in Yuma, Arizona for a gig, and played it onstage the same night. Though a proficient guitarist himself, the studio recording of the song featured Al Casey and Howard Roberts on guitars. It had been written solely by Reynolds, but Demon Records credited it to Reynolds and the fictitious "Dolores Nance", in order to make it appear to have been written by a 'professional' songwriting team. With spooky, reverb-laden vocals, "Endless Sleep" tells the story of a young man desperately searching for his girlfriend, who, after an argument, has flung herself into the ocean. The label persuaded a reluctant Reynolds to change the lyrics to give the song a happy ending.
The song reached the #5 position on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on July 7, 1958, sold over one million copies, and inspired a trend of "teen tragedy" songs.[3] Reynolds performed on American Bandstand and other TV shows, and was featured on concert tours organized by the legendary disc jockey/promoter Alan Freed. "Endless Sleep" would later be covered by the Judds, John Fogerty, and Billy Idol; Marty Wilde had a major hit with it in England, and Hank Williams, Jr.'s version was a modest country music chart success.
Reynolds' self-penned follow up single, "Fire of Love", became a rock & roll classic years later, after being revived by the MC5 and the Gun Club, but only reached #66 on the Billboard chart when released in August 1958, and was his last song to reach the "Hot 100". As with "Endless Sleep", "Fire of Love" was given a fictitious co-writer — in this case, "Sonja Stordivant".
Reynolds recorded several more singles, both with Demon and other labels, including duets with Bobbie Gentry, two songs written by Marty Cooper and Lee Hazlewood, and two hot instrumentals released under the name "The Storms" (Reynolds' backing band). By the mid-1960s he had settled in Palm Springs, where he focused on raising a family and working as a realtor; however, he retained his lifelong love of music, writing and recording songs in a small home studio, occasionally performing in "oldies" shows, and opening a music store.
Col. Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager, signed Reynolds to his Boxcar Publishing Co., thinking Presley might be interested in some of his songs, though Presley died in 1977 before recording any of them. Reynolds included one of the songs he'd written for Presley, "Yesterday and Today", on a 1978 album.
Starting in the late 1970s, "Endless Sleep" and other of Reynolds' songs were re-released in Europe and America; the rockabilly revival beginning in the 1980s saw a further increase of interest in his music.
Reynolds died of liver cancer on November 7, 2008, in Palm Desert, California, at age 75. He was survived by Judy, his wife of 47 years, daughters Malinda and Marla, and son Mark.
Devil Girl
Jody Reynolds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Lord made the world
And while He rested
The devil made a girl
Once I walked
Out in the sun
Now happiness
Who's gonna love me
And be sincere?
Who's gonna hold me
Tell me they care?
If I'm lonely
If I'm blue
I want you only
But the devil's in you
Well, I'm go where you can't find me
I'm gonna break the spell that bind me
And I'm gonna say "Get thee behind me"
Devil girl
Well, forty days
And forty nights
They say it rained
On everything in sight
Well, all the tears
That I have cried
Would cause a flood
Forty days, forty nights
Who's gonna love me
And be sincere?
Who's gonna hold me
Tell me they care?
If I'm lonely
If I'm blue
I want you only
But the devil's in you
Well, I'm go where you can't find me
I'm gonna break the spell that bind me
And I'm gonna say "Get thee behind me"
Devil girl
Jody Reynolds's song "Devil Girl" tells a story of a man who has fallen in love with a woman who he believes is possessed by the devil. The song begins by referencing the biblical story of how God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day, leaving room for the devil to create his own mischief. The lyrics suggest that the creation of this woman is the devil's work, and her presence in the singer's life has caused a complete upheaval of his previous happiness.
The singer longs for someone to love him and be sincere, but he is disillusioned by the devilish nature of the woman he desires. He recognizes that her possession is the root of his loneliness and the reason for his tears. However, he vows to break the spell that binds him and rid himself of this demon, despite his feelings of isolation.
The chorus of the song is an anthem of hope and resistance; the singer declares that he will go where the devil cannot find him, break the spell that binds him, and command the devil to "get thee behind me." The song ends on this strong note of triumph over evil.
In summary, Jody Reynolds's "Devil Girl" is a cautionary tale of love gone wrong in which the singer recognizes the dark forces at work in his romantic relationship and must fight to break free from their hold.
Line by Line Meaning
In just six days
According to the Bible, God created the world in six days.
The Lord made the world
God is the creator of the world.
And while He rested
After creating the world, God rested on the seventh day.
The devil made a girl
The devil is responsible for introducing temptation and sin into the world through a metaphorical representation, 'Devil girl'.
Once I walked
The artist used to be content and happy.
Out in the sun
The singer used to enjoy spending time outside.
Now happiness
The singer is currently not happy.
For me is done
The artist's happiness is over and cannot be regained through normal means.
Who's gonna love me
The artist is seeking genuine love and affection.
And be sincere?
The artist wants someone who truly cares for them.
Who's gonna hold me
The singer desires physical comfort and emotional support.
Tell me they care?
The artist wants to hear reassurance that they are loved and valued.
If I'm lonely
The singer is experiencing feelings of isolation and disconnection.
If I'm blue
The singer is feeling sad and depressed.
I want you only
The singer desires a specific person's love and attention.
But the devil's in you
The person the artist desires is metaphorically associated with temptation and negative influence, similar to that of a devil.
Well, I'm go where you can't find me
The artist plans to distance themselves from the person they desire, metaphorically 'escaping' their influence.
I'm gonna break the spell that bind me
The singer intends to break free from the emotional hold of the person they desire and their negative influence.
And I'm gonna say "Get thee behind me"
The singer is metaphorically commanding the negative influence of the person they desire to be gone from their life.
Devil girl
The song title, and an emphasis on the negative influence of a woman the artist desires.
Well, forty days
Forty is a number with religious significance, as it rained for forty days and forty nights during Noah's Ark narrative.
And forty nights
The period of rain lasted forty days and forty nights, as stated in religious texts.
They say it rained
The allusion to a Biblical story of rain and flooding.
On everything in sight
The rain was widespread and covered everything, leading to a flood.
Well, all the tears
The singer has been crying a significant amount.
That I have cried
The singer is referencing their own emotional turmoil and pain.
Would cause a flood
The singer's tears are compared to a flood, highlighting the intensity of their sadness.
Writer(s): Jody Reynolds
Contributed by Aaliyah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Norberto Guadagni
¡Es bueno! No lo conocía
Tommy Johnson
i did not know that Jody sang or made other songs.Back when i met him in our home. the only song i knew was endless sleep and the flipside tight some thing.
Alan Cassaro
quim?
rhinohouse
What year is this? Sounds Byrdsy?
JANXDPDX
1963
JANXDPDX
1963