The stage name P.J. Proby was suggested to him by a friend named Sharon Sheeley (Eddie Cochran's girlfriend) who remembered the name of an old high school boyfriend.
P.J. Proby did demos for Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and other artists. His greatest hits are "Somewhere", "Maria", "Hold Me", "Niki Hoeky" and "I Apologise". In 1996, Marc Almond produced the album Legend which included the duet single "Yesterday Has Gone".
Rainbow Road
P.J. Proby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All my life I've had hard working hands
But I sang my song as I carried my load
'Cause I had a dream about rainbow
Rainbow road
Then one day a man came along
Heard me playing and singing my songs
Sent me on my way down rainbow
Rainbow road
Then one night a man with a knife
Pushed me till I had to take his life
Fast as falling all my friends were gone
That old judge traded me a sentence for a song
Now I'm living with this ball and chain
I had to wear a number before they ever heard my name
And like the dream I'm growing old
But we still sing about rainbow
Rainbow road
Rainbow road, Rainbow road
Rainbow road, Rainbow road
Rainbow road, Rainbow road
The first lines of Rainbow Road by P.J. Proby, "I was born a dirt poor man, All my life I've had hard working hands," indicate the struggles and hardships the singer has endured throughout his life. However, despite this, he says he sang his song while carrying a load because he had a dream about a rainbow road. The rainbow road symbolizes hope, something to look forward to amidst challenges and uncertainties. The singer's use of the word "dream" emphasizes the idea that hope is often an intangible or even unattainable concept.
Later on in the song, the singer tells of a man who helped him out. He "heard [him] playing and singing [his] songs" and bought him clothes and paid off his debts. This person gave the singer the means to continue on his journey; therefore he sent him on his way down the rainbow road. It is worth noting that this part of the song offers a glimmer of hope in an otherwise challenging situation. The man who helped the singer represents the kindness and generosity of strangers that can change the course of people's lives.
The song turns dark when the singer talks about a man who confronted him with a knife. He was forced to defend himself and killed the man. The turn of events led to the loss of all his friends, and he was taken to court where he traded a sentence for a song. The final verses of the song speak of the singer's current situation; he is now living with a ball and chain and continues to sing about Rainbow road, where he still finds hope.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born a dirt poor man
I grew up in poverty and had very little throughout my life
All my life I've had hard working hands
I have worked extremely hard throughout my life to overcome my poverty
But I sang my song as I carried my load
Despite living a tough life, I remained optimistic and hopeful for a better future
'Cause I had a dream about rainbow
I had a dream of achieving success and happiness in life
Rainbow road
A path towards success and happiness
Then one day a man came along
One day, I met someone who believed in my talent and was willing to support me
Heard me playing and singing my songs
Recognized my musical talent and appreciated my hard work
He bought me clothes and paid up every debt I owed
He provided me with financial and material support to help me move towards success
Sent me on my way down rainbow
He placed me on the path towards my dream of success and happiness
Then one night a man with a knife
I was attacked by someone
Pushed me till I had to take his life
I acted in self-defense and ended up taking the attacker's life
Fast as falling all my friends were gone
After the incident, I lost all my friends and support
That old judge traded me a sentence for a song
I got a reduced sentence after performing a song for the judge
Now I'm living with this ball and chain
I'm living with the consequences of my actions and serving time in prison
I had to wear a number before they ever heard my name
I was treated like a criminal and not given a chance to prove myself
And like the dream I'm growing old
As time passes, my dream of success and happiness becomes more and more distant
But we still sing about rainbow
Despite everything, I still hold onto the hope of achieving success and happiness
Rainbow road, Rainbow road
The path towards achieving success and happiness
Rainbow road, Rainbow road
The path towards achieving success and happiness
Rainbow road, Rainbow road
The path towards achieving success and happiness
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DONNIE FRITTS, DAN PENN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@swankyswig51
Incredible voice! Great song! ❤️