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.
For a Penny
Pat Boone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you should say we're through
I would sell my heart for a penny
'Cause it's worthless to me without you
Oh, oh, oh
With these arms I hold you
That's all I use them for
If they couldn't hold you any more
In other words, I seem to have nothing at all
Unless I have you by my side
Without you my whole world would crumble and fall
But with you I'm so satisfied
Oh, oh darling, darling, darling
I swear by up above
For a penny, for a penny, for a penny
I'd give all that I own for your love
I'd give all that I own for your love
The song "For a Penny" by Pat Boone is a heart-wrenching ballad about a man who is completely lost without his lover. The song starts with the man addressing his lover as he says that if she were to leave him, he would be willing to sell his heart for a penny. This means that his heart is useless without her love and presence in his life.
The song then goes on to reveal that the man's only purpose in life is to hold his lover in his arms. He would gladly sell his arms for a penny if they couldn't hold her anymore. The man seems to be completely dependent on the love of his partner, and without her, he sees himself as nothing.
The song then concludes with the man promising his lover that he would give all that he owns for her love. This last line is a testament to how everything else in his life has become meaningless in the absence of his lover. In essence, the song is a tribute to the power of love and how it can transform someone's life.
Overall, "For a Penny" is a beautiful and emotional song that captures the essence of true love and devotion. It speaks to the raw emotions that come with heartbreak and loss, and how love can make even the most mundane things in life meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
Darling, darling, darling
Addressing the love of his life, expressing affection
If you should say we're through
If she were to end their relationship
I would sell my heart for a penny
He regards his love for her as worthless without her reciprocating his feelings
'Cause it's worthless to me without you
His love has no value if it's unrequited
Oh, oh, oh
An exclamation of his intense emotions
With these arms I hold you
Expressing physical affection
That's all I use them for
He's completely dedicated to holding her
I would sell these arms for a penny
If he can't hold her anymore, he'd rather give up his arms
If they couldn't hold you any more
This emphasizes how much he values physical touch
In other words, I seem to have nothing at all
Without her affection, his life feels empty
Unless I have you by my side
His desire to be with her is unwavering
Without you my whole world would crumble and fall
His world revolves around her, and without her, everything would be ruined
But with you I'm so satisfied
His life is complete with her in it
Oh, oh darling, darling, darling
Repeating his love for her
I swear by up above
Making a solemn promise
For a penny, for a penny, for a penny
Even for the smallest amount of money
I'd give all that I own for your love
His love for her is priceless, and he'd do anything to keep it
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Written by: CHARLES SINGLETON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
pierce nicholl
This song brings back some wonderful memories of my Dad. He always sang this song at family gathering. once we recorded him, he even sang at his own funeral. miss and love you so very much R.I.P Quigley D
Sharon Nicholl
Love this song My Dad use to sing this to my Mom, He even sang it at his own funeral. love and miss you Dad.
1lenny
Sharon Nicholl Sounds like your Dad was a romantic guy. Thanks for listening and commenting.
Ruth Adele West Cole
I have many Boone fave songs but this one gets my vote to the top all the time.
Noe Suarez
What a voice, my mom would love hearing this..
milasach
OMG I haven't heard this song for decades but am so happy to hear it again. Thank you so much for posting it. Pat has one of the smoothest crooning voices I've ever listened to and I enjoy all his oldies, AND you can actually hear what he was singing. Thanks again.
Roy Browning
Not only actually hear but UNDERSTAND, too...! His diction is perfect.
194517laci1
Thank you for the uploading this awsome Pat's song. He has a great voice, he is my fav singer.
1lenny
My pleasure. Thank you for listening and your comment:))
vimla bhambhani
pat boone has sung with great feelings it moves ones heart,one of my favourites