During 1960, Horton had two other successes with "North to Alaska" for John Wayne's movie, North to Alaska, and "Sink the Bismarck". Horton is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Johnny Horton had several top ten songs in the late 50's and early 60's and was on the verge of becoming one of the top stars of the 60's when he met with tragedy.
He was born John Gale Horton in Los Angeles in 1925. He was raised in Tyler, Texas. Horton worked in the fishing industry in Alaska and California, and attended Seattle University. He worked for a while as a carpenter, and played basketball at Baylor University. He worked at a local radio station in East Texas and at the Hometown Jamboree in California. He did some recording with little success for the Abbott, Mercury, and Dot labels and picked up the nickname the Singing Fisherman. Horton became a regular on the Louisiana Hayride.
Johnny married Billie Jean Jones, the widow of country music legend Hank Williams. He sang country songs and signed a recording contract with Columbia, where he would achieve his greatest success. Some of his first hits included Honky Tonk Man, I'm A One-Woman Man in 1956, Coming Home in 1957 and All Grown Up in 1958. He topped the country charts in 1959 with When It's Springtime In Alaska.
Johnny Horton then began to record a series of saga songs that crossed over to the pop charts. He covered Jimmy Driftwood's The Battle Of New Orleans in 1959. The song topped the country charts and it reached number one on the pop charts, where it remained for a solid six weeks. The song was a tribute to the final battle of the War of 1812. He also recorded Sink The Bismarck in 1960, a song that was suggested by the film of the same title; it went top ten country and pop. Johnny Horton was a star. He sang the title song for the John Wayne movie North To Alaska and it too made the top ten in both charts during the same year.
On November 5, 1960, while North To Alaska was still climbing the charts, Horton was killed in an automobile accident in Milano, Texas following an appearance at the Skyline Club in Austin. He is buried in Hillcrest Cemetary in Haughton, LA.
Following Horton's death some of his earlier hit songs made the charts once again. Albums of his recordings were compiled and issued in the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's, and they are still selling.
His biography was published in 1983 under the title Your Singing Fisherman.
All for the Love of a Girl
Johnny Horton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Today I'm so blue
Sad and brokenhearted
And it's all because of you
Life was so sweet, dear
Life was a song
Now you've gone and left me
Oh, where do I belong?
And it's all
For the love of
Of a dear little girl
All for the love
That sets your heart in a whirl
I'm a man who'd give his life
And the joys of this world
All for the love of a girl
And it's all
For the love of
Of a dear little girl
All for the love
That sets your heart in a whirl
I'm a man who'd give his life
And the joys of this world
All for the love of a girl
The lyrics to Johnny Horton's song All for the Love of a Girl express the brokenheartedness and despair of a man who has lost the love of his life. He is weary, blue, and sad, having been left by the woman he loved. He reminisces about the sweet life they once had, where life was a song, but now he is lost and unsure of where he belongs. Despite his heartache, he still loves the woman who left him and would give up everything, even his life, for her love. He is willing to sacrifice all the joys of this world for the love of a girl.
These lyrics express a common theme of love and heartbreak that many listeners can relate to. The song captures the intense emotions of losing a loved one and the pain that comes with it. The repetition of the phrase "all for the love of a girl" emphasizes the powerful effect that love can have on a person's life. The quality of Horton's voice adds to the emotion of the song, and his country music style gives it a nostalgic and traditional feel.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, today I'm so weary
Today, I feel tired and disheartened
Today I'm so blue
Today, I feel sad and depressed
Sad and brokenhearted
Overwhelmed with grief and heartache
And it's all because of you
My current state is due to your actions or absence
Life was so sweet, dear
Life was enjoyable and pleasant when you were around
Life was a song
Life was melodious and meaningful when you were present
Now you've gone and left me
You've left me behind and gone away
Oh, where do I belong?
I feel lost and unsure of where I fit without you
And it's all
The cause of my pain and woes
For the love of
Because of my deep affection towards
Of a dear little girl
A beloved woman who holds my heart
All for the love
My actions are motivated by my love for her
That sets your heart in a whirl
A love that leaves me feeling dizzy and overwhelmed
I'm a man who'd give his life
I'm willing to sacrifice everything for her
And the joys of this world
And all the pleasures life can offer
All for the love of a girl
I'd do all this just because I love her
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Johnny Horton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sanguis
on I Hate Niggers
John Gale "Johnny" Horton did NOT write or sing the song "I Hate Niggers". That song was by Johnny Rebel and not written or released for some years after Johnny Horton died.