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
GREEN
Porter Wagoner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I step down from the train
And there to meet me is my mama and papa
And down the road I look and there runs Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green green grass of home
Arms areached smiling sweetly
It's so good to touch the green green grass of home
The old house is still standing
Though the paint is cracked and dry
And there's that old oak tree that I used to play on
Down the lane I'd walk with my sweet Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green green grass of home
Then I awake and look around me
At these four gray walls that surround me
And I realized that I was only dreaming
For there's a guard and there's a sad old padre
Arm in arm, we'll walk at daybreak
And again I'll touch the green green grass of home
They'll all come to see me
In the shade of that old oak tree
As they lay me 'neath the green green grass of home
Porter Wagoner's "Green Green Grass of Home" is a nostalgic song about a prisoner who is dreaming of returning to his hometown. The song begins with the singer's arrival to his hometown in a train where he is welcomed by his parents, this creates a picturesque scene. Then the song shifts to a flashback where the singer reminisces about his childhood and young love Mary, who is described as having hair of gold and lips like cherries. The memories of playing by the old oak tree and walking down the lane with Mary bring a sense of comfort to the singer as he touches the green green grass of home.
However, the dream then comes to an end as the singer wakes up in prison and realizes that he was only dreaming. He is faced with the reality of his situation, and the song ends with a sad image of the singer being laid to rest beneath the green green grass of home. The song presents a contrast between the happy and hopeful memories of the past and the painful reality of the present.
The song's simple yet poignant lyrics resonate with listeners on various levels. It portrays the common human experience of nostalgia, longing for a past that can never be regained. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Tom Jones, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash.
Line by Line Meaning
The old hometown looks the same
Returning to my hometown, everything appears the same as the last time I was here.
As I step down from the train
Exiting the train and continuing on foot towards my old stomping grounds.
And there to meet me is my mama and papa
My parents have come to welcome me back with open arms.
And down the road I look and there runs Mary
In the distance, I see Mary, the girl I loved and walked down the lane with.
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
Mary has beautiful blonde hair and her lips are red like cherries.
It's good to touch the green green grass of home
I feel grateful to finally put my feet onto the familiar grass of my hometown.
Yes, they've all come to meet me
My entire family and loved ones have gathered to greet me.
Arms areached smiling sweetly
Everyone is smiling and holding out their arms to embrace me.
It's so good to touch the green green grass of home
Returning home and feeling the grass beneath my feet brings me joy.
The old house is still standing
The house I grew up in has not been torn down and remains upright.
Though the paint is cracked and dry
The paint has aged and shows wear and tear, but the structure remains.
And there's that old oak tree that I used to play on
I spot the oak tree I used to climb and play on in my youth.
Down the lane I'd walk with my sweet Mary
Mary and I used to take strolls down this very same lane when we were young.
Then I awake and look around me
I wake up and realize that everything I just experienced was a dream.
At these four gray walls that surround me
I'm imprisoned behind gray walls, confined within a cell.
And I realized that I was only dreaming
Everything I just experienced was just a figment of my imagination.
For there's a guard and there's a sad old padre
There's a guard and a somber priest that accompany me.
Arm in arm, we'll walk at daybreak
We will walk together in the morning, the guards and priest by my side.
And again I'll touch the green green grass of home
In my imagination, I will return to the grassy fields of my hometown.
They'll all come to see me
My loved ones will come to visit me one last time.
In the shade of that old oak tree
My final resting place will be under the oak tree I used to play on.
As they lay me 'neath the green green grass of home
My life will end where it all began, in the fields I once called home.
Lyrics © Divo TV Private Limited, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Curly Putman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@garysala5441
I lost my sweet Mary to cancer January 16th 2021... I can't wait to walk with my sweet Mary once again!!
@nancysiler7060
Oh so very sorry for your loss! God bless you.
@mariaherrera846
I’m Mexican American, when I first heard this song back as a child I had no clue what was being said. As I grew up I learned English but lost track of this gem. Later as an adult I became a professional DJ and had this song requested by a client. It was a dream come true to finally hear and understand this classic song and the name of it. Still makes me teary eyed but now I understand why.
@chrisroberts4017
I wish there were more Tejano/Mexican American country artists like Johnny Rodriguez, Freddy Fender and Rick Trevino. That is a country genre I like but not that many artists sing it
@skatergirl1759
@@chrisroberts4017 do you know any artists of this genre?
@bobburke2248
Thank God for YouTube. We can still hear real country music.
@wrotenwasp
Wow, what the hell happened to country music? This is the real deal. Lyrics that actually tell a story, great guitar, fiddle playing and they're all dressed in style. Country artists had a little more class back then compared to this freak show they call country today.
@3637061
You know you're getting old, when all the good country artists are gone. Porter, Jim Reeves, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, George Jones,etc. Thank God, we have their recordings.
@mankind2112
Mercy Sakes!, they don't make it this good anymore - I loved Porters style, always lookin' good for the camera. Todays country music sucks because non of these people ever starved before.
@audreynichols7988
Tears streaming down my face listening to the wonderful song and remembering how my Daddy loved it. How I would sit with him and listen to it over and over.