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.
Joe's Been A-Gittin' There
Johnny Horton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who fell in Love with a southern belle where the sweet magnolias bloom
He wondered why folks laughed at him when he went ridin' by
But little did he know that she was a courtin' on the sly.
Joe's been a gettin' there Joe's been a flyin'
Joe's been a gettin' there all this time
Joe's been a gettin' there Joe's been a flyin'
He walked her up the mountain he named it to her there
He offered her a band of gold and his name to share
She said that she would marry him and even set the day
But little did he know that she loved a soldier boy in grey.
(Joe's been a gettin' there) Joe's been a flyin'
(Joe's been a gettin' there) all this time
(Joe's been a gettin' there) Joe's been a flyin'
(Joe's been a gettin' there) beatin' his time.
She took the love he offered she took his silver too
She took every little thing from Cornel dressed in blue
She wouldn't let him hold her in a fond embrace
And when he tried to kiss his bride she laughed right in his face.
Joe's been a gettin' there Joe's been a flyin'
Joe's been a gettin' there all this time
Joe's been a gettin' there Joe's been a flyin'
Joe's been a gettin' there beatin' his time.
He woke up one morning and found himself alone
And all she left was a letter that said goodbye farewell I'm gone
No doubt he was a mighty man where the heroes fell
But all is fare in love and war and he lost his southern belle.
(Joe's been a gettin' there) Joe's been a flyin'
(Joe's been a gettin' there) all this time
(Joe's been a gettin' there) Joe's been a flyin'
(Joe's been a gettin' there) beatin' his time.
(Joe's been a gettin' there) Joe's been a flyin'
(Joe's been a gettin' there) all this time
(Joe's been a gettin' there) Joe's been a flyin'
(Joe's been a gettin' there) beatin' his time...
The song "Joe's Been a Gettin' There" by Johnny Horton tells the story of a Yankee colonel who falls in love with a southern belle during the Civil War. He is ridiculed by others for his affection towards her, not knowing that she is also courting a soldier boy in grey behind his back. The colonel offers her everything, including a band of gold and his name, but she takes advantage of him and steals everything he has to offer, leaving him alone with only a goodbye letter.
The song speaks to the theme of love and the consequences of being blinded by it, showcasing the notion that love can make people do foolish things. The colonel's love for the southern belle leads to his eventual downfall, losing everything he had to offer her. It also touches on the idea of betrayal and the consequences of deception, as the southern belle dishonestly accepted everything the colonel had to offer while also leading on another man.
Overall, "Joe's Been a Gettin' There" tells a somber story of heartbreak and deception during the Civil War era, highlighting the cost of love and the consequences of being blinded by it.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a Yankee Cornel in 1862
In the year 1862, there existed a Yankee soldier who held the rank of Colonel.
Who fell in Love with a southern belle where the sweet magnolias bloom
This Yankee Colonel fell in love with a woman who lived in the south, where magnolias grow.
He wondered why folks laughed at him when he went ridin' by
The Colonel was perplexed as to why people would often laugh at him as he rode his horse through town.
But little did he know that she was a courtin' on the sly.
The Colonel was unaware that the woman he loved was secretly courting another man.
Joe's been a gettin' there Joe's been a flyin'
The character of Joe has been making progress and moving quickly.
Joe's been a gettin' there all this time
Joe has been working toward his goal for a significant amount of time without stopping.
Joe's been a gettin' there Joe's been a flyin'
Joe has been making steady progress toward his objective at a rapid pace.
Joe's been a gettin' there beatin' his time.
Joe is achieving his goal more quickly than expected.
He walked her up the mountain he named it to her there
The Colonel took the woman he loved up a mountain and named it for her during their time together.
He offered her a band of gold and his name to share
The Colonel proposed to her with a ring and offered to share his life with her.
She said that she would marry him and even set the day
The woman accepted the Colonel's proposal and even set a date for their wedding.
But little did he know that she loved a soldier boy in grey.
The Colonel was unaware that the woman he loved had feelings for another man, a soldier who fought for the Confederacy.
She took the love he offered she took his silver too
The woman not only took the Colonel's love but also took his money and other valuables.
She took every little thing from Cornel dressed in blue
Not only did she take his love and money, but she also took anything valuable that belonged to the Colonel, who wore a blue Union uniform.
She wouldn't let him hold her in a fond embrace
The woman would not allow the Colonel to hold her closely in a loving hug.
And when he tried to kiss his bride she laughed right in his face.
The woman laughed at the Colonel when he attempted to kiss her on their wedding day.
He woke up one morning and found himself alone
The Colonel woke up to find that the woman he loved had left him.
And all she left was a letter that said goodbye farewell I'm gone
The woman left a letter that said goodbye and explained that she was leaving him.
No doubt he was a mighty man where the heroes fell
The Colonel was no doubt a brave and courageous man who had fought in battles alongside other heroes.
But all is fare in love and war and he lost his southern belle.
Despite his heroism in war, the Colonel lost the woman he loved because of the reality of human emotions and actions with regards to love.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GRADY MARTIN, MARIJOHN WILKIN
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.