He was catapulted into fame by his hit, semi-autobiographical, country music song, "The Auctioneer", in 1956 and has been a renowned auctioneer and entertainer since. "The Auctioneer", which sold over two and a half million copies, was followed by the 1967 movie, What Am I Bid, in which Van Dyke played himself as an auctioneer.
His next hit song, "Walk on By", reached number one on the Billboard Country Music Chart in 1961, and remained on the charts for 37 weeks. In 1994 Billboard Magazine designated "Walk on By" as the No.1 country song in chart history. Van Dyke had one more major hit song, "If a Woman Answers (Hang up the Phone)", that reached No.3 on the country chart in 1962, as well as having a brief presence in the UK Singles Chart the same year with "Big Man in a Big House".
Van Dyke's final two minor country successes were "Happy To Be Unhappy" and "Night People" (both in 1964). He also co-hosted a radio show called Country Crossroads with Bill Mack and Jerry Clower for a number of years. This show was produced and distributed by the Southern Baptist Convention.
Leroy Van Dyke continues as an auctioneer, musician and motivational speaker, although he has largely retired to his home state.
Auctioneer
Leroy Van Dyke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When she told him that he should go to school
He'd sneak away in the afternoon, take a little walk and pretty soon
You'd find him at the local auction barn
Well he'd stand and listen carefully then pretty soon he began to see
How the auctioneer could talk so rapidly
He said, "Oh my it's do or die I've got to learn that auction cry
25 dollar 30 now 30 dollar 30 dollar
30 dollar 30 dollar give me a hollar 30 dollar
who will bid it at a 35 dollar bid?
35 dollar 35 35 make it 35 and a 35 make it 35 and a 35
Who will bid it at a 35 dollar bid?
As time went on he did his best and all could see he didn't jest
He practied on and then some night and day
His pappy'd find him behind the barn just a workin up an awful storm
As he tried to imitate the auctioneer
Said his pappy, "Son we just can't stand a havin' a mediocre man,
You gotta take that auction usin' our good name.
I'll send you off to auction school and then you'll be nobody's fool
You can take your place among the best"
35 dollar 40 now 40 dollar 40 dollar
40 dollar 40 dollar give me a hollar 40 dollar
Who will bid it at at a 40 dollar bid?
40 dollar 45 45 will you make it 45 give me 45 and a 45
Who will bid it at a 45 dollar bid?
So from that morning he went to school there grew a man who played it cool
He came back home a full fledged auctioneer
And people came from miles around just to hear him make that rhythmic sound
That filled their hearts with such a happy cheer
His fame reached out from shore to shore he had all he could do and more
He had to buy a plane to get around
Now he's the tops in all the land so let's all give that man a hand
He's the best of all the auctioneers
45 dollar 50 now 50 dollar 50 dollar
50 dollar 50 dollar give me a hollar 50 dollar
Who will bid it at a 50 dollar bill?
50 dollar 55 55 make it 55 and a 55 make it 55 and
Sold that horse for a 50 dollar bill
The Auctioneer is a song by Leroy Van Dyke that talks about a boy who would sneak away from his school to attend the local auction barn. He realizes how the auctioneer can talk so fast and decides to learn how to be an auctioneer. He practices tirelessly behind the barn and eventually becomes a full-fledged auctioneer who is well known and respected by many people. He can now sell horses, cows, and other livestock, and has even won an auctioneering championship.
The song takes us through the journey of the boy's life, from being an auction enthusiast to becoming a successful auctioneer. He proves that with hard work and dedication, one can make something great out of themselves. The lyrics are catchy and rhythmic, and the song has become an anthem in auction sales floors. It is also a great inspiration to people who have always wanted to pursue their dreams but did not believe they could achieve them.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a boy in Arkansas who wouldn't listen to his ma
Introduces the story of a boy from Arkansas who disobeyed his mother's wishes
When she told him that he should go to school
His mother advised him to attend school, but he disregarded her advice
He'd sneak away in the afternoon, take a little walk and pretty soon
The boy would leave the house unnoticed to visit the local auction barn
You'd find him at the local auction barn
Describes where the boy would frequently go
Well he'd stand and listen carefully then pretty soon he began to see
The boy observed how the auctioneer spoke with a rapid pace
How the auctioneer could talk so rapidly
The boy was impressed by the auctioneer's ability to speak quickly
He said, "Oh my it's do or die I've got to learn that auction cry
The boy felt compelled to master the auctioneer's technique
Gotta make my mark and be an auctioneer"
The boy wanted to become an auctioneer himself and be successful in the profession
25 dollar 30 now 30 dollar 30 dollar
The auctioneer begins his rapid-fire bidding calls by starting the bidding at $25 and then raising it to $30
30 dollar 30 dollar give me a hollar 30 dollar
The auctioneer calls for bids at $30 and encourages people to shout out their offers
who will bid it at a 35 dollar bid?
The auctioneer asks if anyone is willing to bid $35 for the item being sold
35 dollar 35 35 make it 35 and a 35 make it 35 and a 35
The auctioneer continues to encourage people to bid at $35 and repeats the amount
Who will bid it at a 35 dollar bid?
The auctioneer reiterates his request for a $35 bid
As time went on he did his best and all could see he didn't jest
The boy continued to practice and improve his auctioneering skills
He practiced on and then some night and day
The boy worked hard to perfect his auction crying abilities
His pappy'd find him behind the barn just a workin up an awful storm
The boy's father would often find him practicing behind the barn, engaging in an intense auctioneer impersonation
Said his pappy, "Son we just can't stand a havin' a mediocre man,
The boy's father recognized his son's potential and wanted him to achieve greatness
You gotta take that auction usin' our good name.
The boy's father encouraged him to carry on the family tradition of being successful auctioneers
I'll send you off to auction school and then you'll be nobody's fool
The boy's father offered to send him to auction school to further his training in order to be the best
You can take your place among the best"
The boy's father believed he could join the ranks of the most successful auctioneers
35 dollar 40 now 40 dollar 40 dollar
The auctioneer is calling out bids again, starting at $35 and quickly increasing to $40
40 dollar 40 dollar give me a hollar 40 dollar
The auctioneer is encouraging bidders to shout out their bids at $40
Who will bid it at at a 40 dollar bid?
The auctioneer is asking if anyone will make a $40 bid
40 dollar 45 45 will you make it 45 give me 45 and a 45
The auctioneer is hoping someone will bid $45 and is urging them to do so
Who will bid it at a 45 dollar bid?
The auctioneer reiterates his request for a $45 bid
So from that morning he went to school there grew a man who played it cool
The boy took his father's advice and attended auction school, where he matured and became confident
He came back home a full fledged auctioneer
The boy returned to his hometown with the skills and confidence of a professional auctioneer
And people came from miles around just to hear him make that rhythmic sound
The boy became so successful that people traveled from far away to hear him perform his distinctive auctioneer chant
That filled their hearts with such a happy cheer
The auctioneer's chant created a joyful atmosphere and brought smiles to people's faces
His fame reached out from shore to shore he had all he could do and more
The auctioneer became so famous that his reputation spread across the country and he had more work than he could handle
He had to buy a plane to get around
The auctioneer had to purchase a plane to travel to all the places where he was in demand
Now he's the tops in all the land so let's all give that man a hand
The auctioneer became the most successful and respected auctioneer in the country, deserving of applause
He's the best of all the auctioneers
The auctioneer is considered the most skilled and successful of all the auctioneers in the profession
45 dollar 50 now 50 dollar 50 dollar
The auctioneer is back to his bidding calls again, starting at $45 and increasing to $50
50 dollar 50 dollar give me a hollar 50 dollar
The auctioneer encourages bidders to shout out their bids now at $50
Who will bid it at a 50 dollar bill?
The auctioneer is asking if anyone will make a $50 bid
50 dollar 55 55 make it 55 and a 55 make it 55 and
The auctioneer is hoping someone will bid $55 and is urging them to do so
Sold that horse for a 50 dollar bill
The auctioneer has completed the sale of a horse for $50, concluding the song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BUDDY BLACK, LEROY VAN DYKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stephensmalldridge9504
@George Moore no absolutely wrong
Regardless of your age or generation
Talent and uniqueness is measurable
The music of the past all had an individualism to it
As did the cars and everything else. You could not only distinguish the make but also the year of any car at just a glance
Today everything is so generic you can't even tell if a car is American, Japanese or European at a glance
And as for the music
Every song not only sounds alike, but so do the singers
Regardless of the music genre
So yeah, the statement was entirely appropriate
@TWTexasA1
Leroy has an incredible voice, and is still with us at the young age of 92….👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
@kiremoonshot3663
Wow i was just thinkin rip talented guy
@toddstarkey6820
I saw him live about 15 years ago. Got to see a lot of great grandmothers be teenagers again. Was a great show.
@no_handle_required
That right there is the coolest part of it all. This would be an amazing interview.
@kingdoc3262
Thank You Leroy! Hope you see this and it brings a smile ☺️
@randalldwheelerwheeler3207
Sold to the man with 100bi
@kendayton
My Dad had been an auctioneer for almost 20 years when I was born, so I literally grew up IN the business. When he opened his big auction house in SE Ohio the year before this video was filmed, one of the draws was having the oldest and youngest auctioneers in Ohio that first night. His partner, George, who was 85, and me at the tender age of 5. Dad's been gone for almost 40 years now but thanks to this song, I can always hear him calling for bids again.
@TheRealFlaming
Howdy, it's a really good Ole song. One of the songs that keeps me knowing my Old father who served in combat, and was also a farmer on our farm. He died when I was young. I remember him and his voice from this song.
@RustyCarnahan
That's so interesting. I'm willing to bet your dad knew my late Paw Paw Jim Carnahan, and or his partner Dan Smith also from southeast Ohio.
@kendayton
@RustyCarnahan Both those names sound really familiar. What city were they located in? I grew up in Marietta.