Porter Wayne Wagoner (August 12, 1927 – October 28, 2007) was an American c… Read Full Bio ↴Porter Wayne Wagoner (August 12, 1927 – October 28, 2007) was an American country music singer. Famous for his flashy Nudie suits and blond pompadour, Wagoner introduced a young Dolly Parton to his long-running television show. Together, "Porter and Dolly" were a well-known duet team for many years. Parton wrote the song "I Will Always Love You" after Wagoner suggested she shift from story songs to focus on love songs.

His first band, The Blue Ridge Boys, performed on radio station KWPM from a butcher shop in his native West Plains, Missouri where Wagoner cut meat. Wagoner's big break came in 1951, when he was hired as a performer by station KWTO in Springfield, Missouri. This led to a contract with RCA Records. With lagging sales, Wagoner and his trio played schoolhouses for the gate proceeds.

In 1953, his song entitled "Trademark" became a hit for Carl Smith, followed by a few hits of his own on RCA. He was a featured performer on ABC's Ozark Jubilee and moved to Nashville and joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1957.

Wagoner was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002. His 81 charted records include "Satisfied Mind" (#1, 1955), “Misery Loves Company” (#1, 1962), “I've Enjoyed As Much of This As I Can Stand” (#7, 1962–1963), “Sorrow on the Rocks” (#5, 1964), “Green, Green Grass of Home” (#4, 1965), “Skid Row Joe” (#3, 1965–1966), “The Cold Hard Facts of Life” (#2, 1967), and “The Carroll County Accident” (#2, 1968–1969). Among his hit duets with Dolly Parton were a cover of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind" (1967), "We'll Get Ahead Someday" (1968), "Just Someone I Used To Know" (1969), "Better Move it on Home" (1971), "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" (#1, 1974) and "Making Plans" (#2, 1980). He also won three Grammy Awards for gospel recordings.

The Porter Wagoner Show ran on syndicated television from 1960 to 1981. There were 686 thirty minute episodes filmed, the first 104 being shot in black and white, the remainder in color. At its peak, it was featured in over 100 markets, with an average viewership of over three million. Reruns of the program currently air on the rural cable network RFD-TV.

Wagoner brought James Brown to the Grand Ole Opry, produced a rhythm & blues album for Joe Simon, and appeared in the Clint Eastwood film Honkytonk Man. [1] During the mid 1980s, Wagoner formed an all girl group called The Right Combination which was named after one of Porter and Dolly Parton's hit records. He also hosted "Opry Backstage" during the 1990s on The Nashville Network where he interviewed guests. Though Parton's departure caused some animosity on both sides, the two reconciled in the late 1980s and have appeared together a number of times in the years since; Parton inducted Wagoner into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002.

Wagoner made a guest appearance on the HBO comedy series Da Ali G Show, being interviewed by the fictional character Borat, in its second season.

On July 14, 2006, Wagoner was hospitalized and underwent surgery for an abdominal aneurysm.

Wagoner was honored on May 19, 2007 at the Grand Ole Opry for both his fifty years of membership and his 80th birthday. This was telecast on GAC's Grand Ole Opry Live that day with artists such as Stuart, Parton, and Patty Loveless. Grand Ole Opry Live host Nan Kelley was part of the birthday celebration as well.

On June 05, 2007, Wagoner released his final album called Wagonmaster. The album was produced by Marty Stuart for the Anti-label. This album received the best reviews ever in Porter's career and briefly charted on the country charts.

Wagoner also toured during the summer of 2007 to promote the album. One of these was opening for the rock group The White Stripes at a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Wagoner's publicist Darlene Bieber announced on October 19, 2007 that the singer had been hospitalized and was in very serious condition. WSMV-TV reported that Wagoner was admitted earlier that week for observation from an illness. Bieber gave no further information but said that the country star was asking for prayers from his family and fans.

On October 21, 2007, his publicist confirmed that Wagoner had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

On October 26, 2007, Porter was released into hospice care. He died two days later in Nashville, Tennessee. Wagoner's funeral was held on November 1, 2007 at the Grand Ole Opry House followed by interrment at the Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville.

Up until his illness and death, he appeared regularly on the Grand Ole Opry and toured actively.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Big Wind
Porter Wagoner Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

From daylight 'til dusk, we've been a-workin' in the dust
Pickin' cotton, workin' side by side
Well, I can't forget, yes, I remember yet
The way my daddy looked at me and cried

"Big wind's a-comin', listen to the hummin'
Hurry up, son, be quick, don't stall
You know we can't be slow, take the kids and get below

If we don't hurry it'll surely get us all"

Well I ran across the field, so scared my lips was sealed
To warn my mom the storm was on its way
Well I knew I'd won my race when I saw my mammy's face
And the way she looked at me and said

"Big wind's a-comin', listen to the hummin'
Hurry up, son, be quick, don't stall
You know we can't be slow, take the kids and get below
If we don't hurry it'll surely get us all"

Oh, but dad was in the cellar and by now the sky was yellow
Wind was a-blowin' trees were fallin'
And outside I heard him cryin' and as he lay there dyin'
It seemed I could still hear him callin', son

"Big wind's a-comin', listen to the hummin'
Hurry up, son, be quick, don't stall
You know we can't be slow, take the kids and get below
If we don't hurry it'll surely get us all"

Big wind, big wind's a-comin'

Overall Meaning

The song "Big Wind" by Porter Wagoner tells a powerful story about a family working in a cotton field when they suddenly hear news of an incoming windstorm. The lyrics express fear and anxiety as the father and son quickly gather the children and rush to the cellar. The tension continues to build as the storm approaches and becomes more violent, eventually resulting in tragedy as the father is caught outside and dies in the storm.

The song vividly depicts the harsh realities of living in a rural, agricultural community where natural disasters can be catastrophic. The urgency of the situation is reflected in the music, with a driving beat and urgent vocals. The lyrics also convey the importance of family and the emotional turmoil of losing a loved one. Overall, this track is a poignant commentary on the struggles and triumphs of working-class Americans in the mid-twentieth century.

Line by Line Meaning

From daylight 'til dusk, we've been a-workin' in the dust
We have been working in the fields from morning till evening, enduring the dusty environment.

Pickin' cotton, workin' side by side
We were working together to collect the cotton.

Well, I can't forget, yes, I remember yet The way my daddy looked at me and cried
I still remember the way my father looked at me while crying.

"Big wind's a-comin', listen to the hummin' Hurry up, son, be quick, don't stall You know we can't be slow, take the kids and get below If we don't hurry it'll surely get us all"
My father warned us about the big storm approaching, urging us to hurry and protect ourselves.

Well I ran across the field, so scared my lips was sealed To warn my mom the storm was on its way
I ran across the field, afraid to speak, to warn my mother about the impending storm.

Well I knew I'd won my race when I saw my mammy's face And the way she looked at me and said
I felt relieved when I saw my mother's expression and the words she spoke.

Oh, but dad was in the cellar and by now the sky was yellow Wind was a-blowin' trees were fallin'
My father was already seeking refuge in the cellar while the strong wind was causing trees to topple.

And outside I heard him cryin' and as he lay there dyin' It seemed I could still hear him callin', son
When my father was dying, I could hear him calling my name in my mind.

"Big wind's a-comin', listen to the hummin' Hurry up, son, be quick, don't stall You know we can't be slow, take the kids and get below If we don't hurry it'll surely get us all" Big wind, big wind's a-comin'
My father's warning about the big storm was repeated in my mind, reminding me of his final words before the catastrophe.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alex Zanetis, George Mccormick, Wayne Walker

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS