Born Donald Eugene Lytle in Greenfield, Ohio, he began playing guitar by age 6 and made his first record at age 15. After a time served in the United States Navy (which included a court-martial for assault), he began performing under the name Donny Young. The singer took a job with country music star George Jones, for whom he played bass and steel guitar for several years, co-writing Jones' hit song, "Once You've Had the Best." By the 1960s, he had changed his name to Johnny Paycheck, a name similar to Johnny Cash, which has sometimes caused confusion.
A member of the Grand Ole Opry, PayCheck is best remembered for his 1977 cover of, "Take This Job and Shove It" (written by David Allan Coe) which sold over 2 million copies and inspired a motion picture of the same name. Colorado Kool-Aid is another of his most famous songs. In his career, PayCheck recorded eleven songs that made it into country music's top ten chart plus he co-wrote several successful songs for other country singers including "Apartment #9," a hit for Tammy Wynette.
His life was often filled with turmoil and in 1985, PayCheck was convicted of shooting a man in Hillsboro, Ohio and spent two years in prison. His tax problems with the IRS led to his filing for bankruptcy in 1990. Later in the 1990s, he began capitalizing the fourth letter of his name in a style later dubbed CamelCase, preferring to be known as Johnny PayCheck.
PayCheck suffered from drug and alcohol addiction during his career, although he was said to have "put his life in order" [1] after his prison stay. Suffering from emphysema and asthma, after a lengthy illness, Johnny PayCheck died at Nashville's Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
He was interred in Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville.
He is survived by his wife Sharon PayCheck and son Jonathan PayCheck.
All Night Lady
Johnny Paycheck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a blackout curtain closing out the light
It's now he needs someone's arms around him
Yes it's now he needs someone to help him through the night
An all night lady
One who loves me
And won't leave me when daylight comes
At 9 AM they're going to lead him to the death-house
And at 10 AM they'll lay his soul to rest
I can see them giving him his last supper
I can hear him giving them his last request
An all night lady
One who loves me
And won't leave me when daylight comes
One who'll stay with me until my life is done
One who'll stay with me until my life is done
In Johnny Paycheck's song "All Night Lady," the singer speaks of a man sitting by the window watching his last sunset. The imagery of a "blackout curtain closing out the light" depicts the sense of finality and absolute-ness that the man is feeling. He is afraid and lonely, and this is evident in the line "It's now he needs someone's arms around him." He is looking for someone to comfort him, someone to help him through the night.
The man is anticipating his imminent death in the morning, and he is clearly terrified of it. This can be seen in the line "At 9 AM they're going to lead him to the death-house, and at 10 AM they'll lay his soul to rest." He knows that he is going to be executed, and he is spending his last few hours looking for someone to stay with him throughout the night. The character is looking for an "all night lady," someone who will love him and not leave him when the daylight comes. He wants someone who will stay with him until his life is done. Essentially, he is searching for someone to make his last few hours on earth less lonely.
The song is a melancholic ballad that speaks of the human need for companionship and love. It highlights the fact that even in the darkest moments of our lives, when we are facing the most terrifying of circumstances, we still require the warmth and companionship of another human being. The song is an ode to the importance of human connection and the need for love, even in our darkest hour.
Line by Line Meaning
Through the window he sits watching his last sunset
He is sitting by the window watching the sunset for the last time.
Like a blackout curtain closing out the light
His time is over and his hope for salvation is gone.
It's now he needs someone's arms around him
He needs a comforting embrace to help him through his difficult time.
Yes it's now he needs someone to help him through the night
He needs someone to be there for him through his last moments.
An all night lady
He wants a woman who will stay with him all night.
One who loves me
He wants someone who genuinely loves him.
And won't leave me when daylight comes
He wants someone who won't abandon him when things get tough.
One who'll stay with me until my life is done
He wants a companion who will be with him until the end of his life.
At 9 AM they're going to lead him to the death-house
He is scheduled to be executed at 9 AM.
And at 10 AM they'll lay his soul to rest
By 10 AM, he will have passed away.
I can see them giving him his last supper
He is envisioning himself being given his last meal before his execution.
I can hear him giving them his last request
He imagines himself making his final wish before he is put to death.
Contributed by Josiah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.