Travis was born in Marshville, North Carolina, the second of six children of Bobbie, a textile factory worker, and Harold Traywick, a horse breeder, turkey farmer, and construction business owner. While growing up, Travis was forced to take guitar lessons by his father and began performing at the age of eight with his brother, Ricky. Travis began drinking at the age of 12, and by 14 was a regular marijuana user, who occasionally dabbled in harder drugs. He often fought with his father and soon dropped out of high school. He became a juvenile delinquent and was arrested for various offenses, including auto theft and burglary.
Harold Traywick entered Randy and Ricky in a talent contest at a nightclub called "Country City, USA" in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the meantime, Ricky, who also had brushes with the law, was sentenced to jail and Randy had to complete the contest alone, but he won anyway. The club's manager, Elizabeth "Lib" Hatcher, took an interest in Travis and gave him a job singing at the club. Travis began focusing on music. He first recorded for Paula Records and released two unsuccessful singles — "She's My Woman" and "Dreamin'". Travis' legal troubles continued and he was due in court for probation violations. Hatcher pleaded with the judge and Travis was released in her custody with the warning that if the judge ever saw him again "he'd better bring his toothbrush, because he would be going to jail for a very long time."
Travis moved in with Hatcher. This put further strain on her already fragile marriage. She eventually left her husband and, in 1982, she and Travis moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Travis was soon turned down by every record label in town. His early demo tapes were criticized by Nashville record executives as being "too country." Hatcher took a job as manager of a nightclub, "The Nashville Palace" and hired Travis as a cook and singer. It was during this time that an unlikely romance began to form between the two; Travis said "I think we discovered how much we needed each other."
Career
In 1982, Travis recorded an independent album Randy Ray Live and Lib Hatcher used it to secure a deal with Warner Bros. Records. However, the label said they had to keep their romance a secret, so as not to turn away fans, and changed his stage name from Randy Ray to Randy Travis. In 1985, Warner Brothers released Travis' single, "On the Other Hand," which topped out at 67 on the country charts. His next single, "1982", became a Top 10 hit followed by the re-release of "On the Other Hand" in 1986. The re-release became Travis' first number one hit.
His debut album, Storms of Life, went on to sell more than 4 million copies. In the late 1980s, he had a string of hits, including "No Place Like Home" and "Diggin' Up Bones." A song from his second Warner Brothers album "Always and Forever" titled "Forever and Ever, Amen" arguably launched the neo-traditionalist country era, boosting the popularity of country music beyond its traditional fan base. For two years in a row, Travis won the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, for the albums Always & Forever in 1988, and for Old 8x10 in 1989. Off the success of his first two albums, Old 8x10 shipped platinum. Always and Forever was number one for 43 weeks.
Travis and Hatcher married in 1991. That year Travis took part in Voices That Care, a multi-artist project that featured other top names in music for a one-off single to raise money for the allied troops in the Gulf War. The project included fellow singers Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers and Kathy Mattea. By 1992, Travis was no longer charting high, as Brooks, Clint Black and others had taken over Nashville. He took a break from music to concentrate on acting and landed roles in several Western-genre films. He returned to recording with the 1994 album This Is Me and the hit single "Whisper My Name."
In 1997, Travis parted ways with Warner Brothers. He moved to DreamWorks Nashville and recorded You and You Alone, which produced the top 10 hits "Out of My Bones" and "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man." These were followed by 2000's albums Inspirational Journey, 2002's Rise and Shine and 2003's Worship and Faith. The single "Three Wooden Crosses" from the Rise and Shine album reached No. 1 and won the CMA song of the year in 2003. That same year, Travis ranked #13 on CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music. Travis continues to act in film and television; he appeared on the series finale of Touched by an Angel. His second most recent album, Passing Through, was released in November of 2004. It combines the country music of his earlier years, with a little gospel mixed in from more recent albums. After the release of "Glory Train" in 2005 and the Christmas album "Songs of the Season" in 2007, Travis released his brand new single "Faith In You" as a free download from his official website. It heralds the projected summer [2008] release of his forthcoming album, "Around the Bend". Along with the release of the free single, RandyTravis.com has also underwent a complete overhaul, with opportunities for fans to create blogs and join an upcoming official fan club. The new sleek look of the website has attracted throngs of fans. Contributor Anthony Maurizio has recently produced the Digging Up Bones blog series on the website, which has increased website traffic and is considered one of the most esteemed country music articles available for reading.
Honky Tonk Moon
Randy Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Up ahead pale neon, somewhere a dog barks
Honky tonk moon keeps shining on my baby and me
Breaking up the pool balls, chalking up the cues
Jukebox pumping softly, lazy summer blues
Honky tonk moon keeps shining on my baby and me
Troubles seem to melt away
My heart's on a roll, I'm easy in my soul
There's no hurry, no worry, things are goin' my way
My arms around my baby, shufflin' on the floor
Cigarettes and sawdust, squeaky old screen door
Honky tonk moon keeps shinin' on my baby and me
Through the blue smoky haze, all through the days
Troubles seem to melt away
My heart's on a roll, I'm easy in my soul
There's no hurry, no worry, things are goin' my way
Outside the dark is fallen, stars are winking bright
That old hoot owl is calling, everything's all right
Honky tonk moon, keeps shinin' on my baby and me
Honky tonk moon, keeps shinin' on my baby and me
The lyrics to Randy Travis's song Honky Tonk Moon describe a peaceful and romantic night spent at a country bar. The setting is described as a dirt road surrounded by cool and dark woods with a glowing neon sign ahead. The singer and his lover are enjoying their time together, playing pool and listening to the jukebox playing soft, summertime blues. The song's chorus centers on the idea that the "honky tonk moon" is shining down on them, bringing them peace and happiness. The lyrics also describe the atmosphere of the bar, with its smoky haze, sawdust, and squeaky screen door. The distractions of life seem to disappear in the presence of the honky tonk moon, allowing the singer's heart to be at peace.
The song is a classic example of traditional honky tonk music, with its themes of drinking, dancing, and love. Honky Tonk was a popular style of country music in the 1940s and 1950s, and Travis's song pays tribute to this style. The song's simple yet poetic lyrics are supported by a classic country sound, complete with twangy guitar riffs and a steady drumbeat. The song is both melancholic and romantic, reflecting the atmosphere of a small-town country bar.
Line by Line Meaning
Dirt road in the twilight, woods so cool and dark.
On a quiet and peaceful road surrounded by trees that are relaxing and comforting in the cool and dark dampness of twilight.
Up ahead pale neon, somewhere a dog barks,
A faint light from a neon sign ahead of us, and we can hear a dog barking in the distance.
Honky tonk moon, keeps shining on my baby and me
Despite the eerie and dark surroundings, the beautiful and bright moon visible in the sky is shining on my sweetheart and me.
Breaking up the pool balls, chalking up the cues
Playing billiards and preparing the cues by rubbing chalk on them.
Jukebox pumping softly, lazy summer blues
The jukebox playing soft music that perfectly captures the mood of a lazy summer day.
Through the blue smoky haze, all through the haze
Looking through the smoky atmosphere that's present all around.
Trouble seems to melt away,
All my worries and anxieties seem to disappear.
My heart's on a roll, I'm easy in my soul
Feeling good and peaceful in my heart.
There's no hurry, no worry, things are goin' my way
Nothing needs to be rushed or worried about since everything seems to be going just as I had hoped.
My arms around my baby, shufflin' on the floor
Holding my sweetheart close and dancing together on the floor.
Cigarettes and saw-dust, squeaky old screen door.
The scent of cigarettes and the sight of sawdust on the floor, along with the sound of the squeaky old screen door.
Outside the dark is falling, stars are twinkling bright
The darkness of the night is approaching, but it's beautiful because the stars are shining brightly.
That old hoot owl is calling, every-things all right
Hearing an owl in the distance that's a comforting reminder that everything is okay.
Honky tonk moon, keeps shinin' on my baby and me.
Once again, despite the darkness of night, the moon is shining brightly on my sweetheart and me.
Honky tonk moon, keeps shinin' on my baby and me.
Reinforcing the fact that through all these moments, both good and bad, the moon has remained constant and has never stopped shining on us.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Dennis O'rourke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cindy Zins
This song needed way more radio play back in the day, and could darn sure use some now!
Sensei Juan
Randy will always be one of the greatest country singers of all time. Today's so called country singers owe Randy Travis so much. He put country back on the map.
timbuk1
I'd agree. Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam and Patty Loveless..
M.I.B.Y
George strait Alan Jackson Garth brooks Randy Travis
KRISCILLA MATUSAWICZ
THIS SONG REMINDS OF A NICE AUTUMN EVENING AND SOUNDS GREAT EVERYTIME I SING ALONG.. JUST LOVIN'IT...
John Paul Bacon
Another wonderful song. Randy has given music so much - it's sad that he can't perform. Randy was one of the artist that were called - The New Traditionalist's. Country music could use more " New Traditionalist " sound back in country music.
The Critter Cuzzins
Love it just as much as the first time I heard it.
Greenley G
My favorite song of all time. I have every word memorized all of Randy's songs. I know it is weird for a 15-year-old girl to have that memorized, but I grew up listening to this song and all of Travis' other melodies from the jukebox echoing off my lake and the pine trees that surround my home at my small-town home in Indiana.
Jim Stevens
Greenley G.........Great post!! This is definitely one of his best songs.
Grace McCarthy
Okay. litterally same. Like the small town home in indiana and everything