The Reverend Horton Heat is both an American three-piece psychobilly band f… Read Full Bio ↴The Reverend Horton Heat is both an American three-piece psychobilly band from Dallas, Texas and the stage name of its singer-songwriter frontman, Jim Heath (born in 1959 in Corpus Christi, Texas).

The group originally formed in 1985, playing its first gigs in Dallas's Deep Ellum neighborhood. Its current members are Jim "Reverend Horton" Heath on guitar and lead vocals, Jimbo Wallace on the upright bass, and Jonathan Jeter on drums. Through relentless touring and a manic stage show, they have established themselves as one of the most popular underground acts in America. Their sound is self described as "Country-fed punkabilly." Their music is a mixture of country, punk, big band, swing, and rockabilly, all played loud and energetically with lyrics that are often very humorous.

Jim Heath played in a cover band called Southern Comfort with friends from Corpus Christi Ray, his high school, before attending the University of Texas at Austin in the fall of 1977. At UT, he often entertained friends and dormmates and was often found playing in the stairwells at Moore-Hill Dormitory late into the night to avoid disturbing the sleep of roommate Harold Shockley, now a Corpus Christi banker. Jim left school in the spring to join up with a touring cover band by the name of Sweetbriar. Three years later, former dormmate David Livingston, now in his senior year of school and at home visiting family, saw a familiar face on stage and reunited with Jim. David told Jim stories of the punk music scene in Austin and the acts playing at venues like Raul's and Club Foot. Once, while home on another visit, David took Jim to a Dallas rock and roll venue, The Bijou, to see an act called The Cramps. After the show, there broke out a punks vs. rockers brawl in the parking lot. While Jim and David escaped any involvement in the scuffle, Jim later claimed to have had an epiphany on that evening. Always a fan of blues and honky tonk, Jim returned the favor by taking David and his wife, Ellen, to see The Blasters in Dallas at a venue known as the Hot Klub and Jim's love for roots rock took over from there.

Jim had married a former bandmate from Sweetbriar, and together they had a child. Together they decided that the rock-and-roll lifestyle was over and that it was time to have real jobs. Around 1985, Jim was known as "Jim the Sound Guy" by those who frequented two warehouses that by night became music venues, Theater Gallery and The Prophet Bar. Jim used the old Sweetbriar PA system to earn from $20-$50 per night for extra money, running sound for bands such as the New Bohemians, End Over End, Shallow Reign and Three On A Hill. One night during a lull, Russell Hobbs, one of the original Deep Ellum visionaries and proprietors of these venues goaded Jim into getting up to play. He played alone, tearing through a version of "Folsom Prison Blues" that is now so familiar to millions of Reverend Horton Heat fans around the world. Throughout the song, Hobbs hooted and shouted out, "Go Reverend". Jim decided then and there to form a band and came up with the name Reverend Horton Heat, as an ode to Johnny Horton, using the shortened version of his last name, Heath. The late nights and the fact the Jim was now playing in a band and his wife and former bandmate was not took its toll on the marriage and she soon left with their child and dog. Jim's feelings upon the loss of his family are well documented in the song, "Where In The Hell Did You go With My Toothbrush?". The Jimi Hendrix poster mentioned in the song was on the back of a door that Jim used for a practice room in the house he shared with his wife and child. The dog's name really was Smokey.

About this time, David and Ellen moved back from Oklahoma City, where they had been since graduating from UT. David began to book gigs for Jim and his new band, and their refeshing sound and raw live performance quickly won over the local music scene. Jim drew crowds to brand new music venues, playing three nights a week at Froggy Bottoms in the then brand new West End and assured a quick start to Club Dada, the first "for profit" bar in Deep Ellum by playing every night for the first two weeks that it was open. David continued to work with Reverend Horton Heat until 1989, when his own new family and day job required all of his attention, and Jim needed a real manager who could get him out on the road and into the studio. Jim and David remain close friends today, and a song that they co-wrote together back in the '80s, "Liquor, Beer and Wine", appeared on 1994's "Liquor In The Front".

Check out the [url=http://[officialsite]www.victorymerch.com/store/reverendhortonheat]Reverend Horton Heat merch store.

This artist is also on Last.fm as: 'The Reverend Horton Heat'

Santa Bring My Baby Back
Reverend Horton Heat Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't need a lot of presents
To make my Christmas bright
I just need my baby's arms
Wound around me tight
Oh oh santa hear my plea
Santa bring my baby back to me

The Christmas tree is ready

The candles all aglow
But with my baby far away
What good is mistletoe
Oh oh Santa, hear my plea
Santa bring my baby back to me

Please make these reindeer hurry
Well their time is drawing near
It sure won't seem like Christmas
Until my baby's here
Fill my sock with candy
And a bright and shiny toy
You wanna make me happy and fill my heart with joy
Then Santa, hear my plea
Santa bring my baby back to me

Please make these reindeer hurry
Well their time is drawing near
It sure won't seem like Christmas
Until my baby's here
Fill my sock with candy
And a bright and shiny toy
You wanna make me happy and fill my heart with joy
Then Santa, hear my plea
Santa bring my baby back to me

Then Santa, hear my plea
Santa bring my baby back to me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the Reverend Horton Heat's song Santa Bring My Baby Back talk about the desire to have someone you love close to you during the Christmas holidays. In these lyrics, the singer tells Santa that he doesn't need a lot of presents to be happy, but he just wants his loved one back. He tells Santa that his Christmas tree is ready and the candles are all aglow, but without his baby, it is not complete. He asks Santa to make the reindeer hurry, and he hopes his loved one will come back soon. He then asks Santa to fill his sock with candy and a shiny toy, but he knows that the only thing that will make him happy and fill his heart with joy is to have his baby back with him. The song ends with the singer reminding Santa of his desire to have his baby back.

The song reflects the nostalgic feeling that many people have during the holidays, missing loved ones who are far away. The lyrics are simple but powerful, conveying the message of longing and love with a touch of humor. The melody is upbeat, with a classic rockabilly sound that makes it easy to dance to.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't need a lot of presents
I don't need extravagant gifts

To make my Christmas bright
To enjoy the holiday season

I just need my baby's arms
All I truly desire

Wound around me tight
Is to hold my partner close

Oh oh Santa hear my plea
An emotional appeal to Santa Claus

Santa bring my baby back to me
To reunite with my loved one for the holidays

The Christmas tree is ready
Festive preparations have been made

The candles all aglow
Decorating the house with lights and candles

But with my baby far away
Without my partner by my side

What good is mistletoe
The holiday symbol of love and affection is meaningless

Please make these reindeer hurry
Request for expedited delivery