Born in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Boone is a direct descendant of the American pioneer Daniel Boone. He grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, attended David Lipscomb College and began recording in 1954 for Republic Records. His 1955 version of "Ain't That a Shame" was a huge hit, selling far better than Fats Domino's original version. This set the stage for the early part of Boone's career, which focused on covering R&B songs by black artists for a white market. Previously, rock 'n' roll had had only limited exposure outside of the African American community. Pat Boone's pale covers gave attention to the more authentic original artists, such as Little Richard and Fats Domino and to rhythm and blues in general. In addition, the songwriters and copyright holders benefited even when individual artists did not.
In fact, only six of Boone's many hit singles were R&B covers, and only four of those were rockers. All were released in the first two years of his long career. These were "Ain't That a Shame" by Fats Domino and "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard, and "At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)" by the El Dorados. The other two R&B covers were well-chosen blues ballads, "I Almost Lost My Mind" by Ivory Joe Hunter and "Chains of Love," a hit for Big Joe Turner and later B.B. King that had been written by Ahmet Ertegun. By 1957, Boone was concentrating on the middle-of-the-road music that dominated his career. He never recorded another R&B cover.
Known as "The Kid in White Buck Shoes", Boone sported a clean-cut image that appealed to white [teens]] and parents. His singing style, a rich baritone, followed in the tradition of his idol, Bing Crosby. Preferring to carry on in the Crosby tradition, he soon began turning more and more to ballads. Some of his biggest hits included "Love Letters in the Sand" (with the instrumental break featuring Boone's whistling), "April Love", "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)", and "Don't Forbid Me".
His teen idol popularity in the late 1950s was second only to that of Elvis Presley, and, like Presley, he soon tried his hand at acting. Boone's pictures included 1960's Journey to the Center of the Earth alongside Hollywood notable James Mason.
His recording of the theme song from the 1957 film April Love topped the charts for six weeks and was nominated for an Academy Award. Pat also wrote the theme song for the movie Exodus.
A devout born-again Christian, he was raised in the conservative Church of Christ, but has been a member of a Pentecostal church for more than thirty years. Boone has refused both songs and movie roles that he felt might compromise his standards, including a role opposite the decade's reigning sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe. Among his other achievements, he hosted a TV series in the late 1950s and began writing in the early 1960s, a series of self-help books for adolescents, including Twixt Twelve and Twenty.
The British Invasion effectively ended Boone's career as a hitmaker, though he continued recording throughout the 1960s. In the 1970s, he switched to gospel and country, and he continued performing in other media as well, most importantly radio. He is currently working as the disc jockey of a popular oldies radio show and runs his own record company which provides a much-welcomed outlet for new recordings by 1950s greats who can no longer find a place with the major labels.
Boone married Shirley Lee Foley, daughter of country music great Red Foley and singer Judy Martin, in 1953 and they had four daughters: Cherry, Lindy, Debby, and Laury. In the 1960s and 1970s the Boone family toured as gospel singers and made gospel albums, such as The Pat Boone Family and The Family Who Prays.
In the early 1990s, Boone joined Amway and spoke at many motivational seminars. He was also a distributor. He never reached the coveted Amway rank of Diamond.
In 1997, Boone released In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, a collection of heavy metal covers revamped to fit his style. To promote the album, he appeared at the American Music Awards in black leather, shocking audiences and losing his respectability among his largest constituency, conservative Christians. He was then fired from Gospel America, a TV show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. About a year later, the controversy died down and many fans, including Jack Hayford, accepted his explanation of the leather outfit being a "parody of himself". He was re-hired by Trinity Broadcasting and Gospel America was brought back.
In 2003, the Gospel Music Association of Nashville, Tennessee recognized his gospel recording work by inducting him into its Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Boone and his wife live in Los Angeles, California. They are members of The Church on the Way in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley. His one-time neighbor was Ozzy Osbourne and his family. Boone's cover of Osborne's song "Crazy Train" became the theme song for The Osbornes. (It appears on The Osbornes Soundrack.) Osborne said that Boone "never complained once" about living next door to his less-than-traditional family.
Boone once claimed to use his own surname in lieu of curse words when upset.
In 2006, Boone penned an article for WorldNetDaily in which he argued that Democrats and others who are against the Iraq War cannot, under any circumstances, be considered patriotic. He also recently was interviewed by Neil Cavuto on Fox News, where he expressed his outrage against the opponents of George W. Bush (namely the Dixie Chicks) that their criticisms of the President showed they did not "respect their elders". Another article defended Mel Gibson after the actor was recorded making an anti-Semitic rant. Despite their differing political views, Pat Boone is friends with the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Enter Sandman
Pat Boone Lyrics
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Don't forget, my son
To include everyone
Tuck you in, warm within
Keep you free from sin
Till the sandman he comes
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit, light
Enter, night
Take my hand
Off to never-never land
Somethings wrong, shut the light
Heavy thoughts tonight
And they aren't of Snow White
Dreams of war, dreams of liars
Dreams of dragon's fire
And of things that will bite
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit, light
Enter, night
Take my hand
Off to never-never land
Now I lay me down to sleep
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I die before I wake
If I die before I wake
I pray the lord my soul to take
I pray the lord my soul to take
Hush little baby, don't say a word
Never mind that noise you heard
It's just the beasts under your bed
In your closet, in your head
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit, light
Enter, night
Take my hand
Off to never-never land
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit, light
Enter, night
Take my hand
Off to never-never land
Pat Boone’s song, Enter Sandman, can be interpreted as a lullaby of ominous warnings to a little boy. The song begins by telling the child to pray before bedtime and to ask God's intercession for all living beings. The child is then tucked in and prayed for, so he may be kept from all evil till the sleep takes him away.
However, the lyrics take a dark turn as the child is encouraged to sleep with one eye open and grip his pillow tight. The lyrics suggest that the child's sleep will be disturbed by visions of heavy thoughts, evil liars, and dragons’ fire. The child is warned that beasts are hiding under his bed, in his closet, and in his head. The song ends with an invitation to enter the world of ‘never-never land,’ a term that likely refers to some dark world of the present, past, or future.
The song's lyrics are ambiguous and leave much to the listener’s interpretation. The verses are packed with metaphors that depict the boy's anxieties and insecurities as he is being readied for bed. Some possible interpretations suggest that the song is a tribute to the monstrous sounds of heavy metal and rock.
Line by Line Meaning
Say your prayers little one
Start praying, child
Don't forget, my son
Remember, kid
To include everyone
Pray for everyone
Tuck you in, warm within
Make you comfortable in bed
Keep you free from sin
Protect you from doing wrong
Till the sandman he comes
Until you fall asleep
Sleep with one eye open
Be alert even while sleeping
Gripping your pillow tight
Hold your pillow tightly
Exit, light
Leave the light behind
Enter, night
Enter the darkness
Take my hand
Hold my hand
Off to never-never land
Away to a mystical world
Somethings wrong, shut the light
Something isn't right, turn off the light
Heavy thoughts tonight
Feeling troubled today
And they aren't of Snow White
Thoughts aren't about fairy tales
Dreams of war, dreams of liars
Having nightmares of war and deception
Dreams of dragon's fire
Dreaming of a dragon's breath
And of things that will bite
Thinking about things that might harm
Now I lay me down to sleep
Going to bed now
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
Asking God to protect the soul
If I die before I wake
In case I pass away while I'm sleeping
I pray the lord my soul to take
Asking God to take the soul
Hush little baby, don't say a word
Don't speak, baby
Never mind that noise you heard
Ignore any sounds you heard
It's just the beasts under your bed
The noise is just imaginary monsters
In your closet, in your head
Or you're thinking about scary thoughts
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: James Alan Hetfield, Kirk L. Hammett, Lars Ulrich
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind