Scotty Moore was born near Gadsden, Tennessee. He learned to play the guitar from family and friends at eight years of age. Although underage when he enlisted, Moore served in the United States Navy between 1948 and 1952.
Moore's early background was in jazz and country music. A fan of guitarist Chet Atkins, Moore led a group called the "Starlite Wranglers" before Sam Phillips at Sun Records put him together with then teenage Elvis Presley. Phillips believed that Moore's lead guitar and Bill Black's double bass were all that was needed to augment Presley's rhythm guitar and lead vocals on their recordings. In 1954 Moore and Black accompanied Elvis on what would become the first legendary Presley hit, the Sun Studios session cut of "That's All Right", a recording regarded as a seminal event in rock and roll history. Elvis, Black and Moore then formed the Blue Moon Boys.
For a time, Moore served as Elvis's personal manager. They were later joined by drummer D.J. Fontana. Beginning in July 1954, the Blue Moon Boys toured and recorded throughout the American South and, as Presley's popularity rose, they toured the United States and made appearances in various Presley television shows and motion pictures. The Blue Moon Boys, including Moore, appear in the few 1955 home movie clips that survive of Elvis before he achieved national recognition. Moore, Black, and Fontana also appear on the Dorsey Brothers, Milton Berle, Steve Allen, and Ed Sullivan live TV shows of January 1956 to January 1957. Moore and Fontana also reunited on the 1960 Timex TV special with Frank Sinatra welcoming Elvis's return from the Army.
Moore played on many of Presley's most famous recordings, including "That's All Right", "Good Rockin' Tonight", "Milk Cow Blues Boogie", "Baby Let's Play House", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Mystery Train", "Blue Suede Shoes", "Hound Dog", "Too Much", "Jailhouse Rock" and "Hard Headed Woman". Moore and the Blue Moon Boys also perform (and have additional small walk-on and speaking roles) with Elvis in four of his movies (Loving You, Jailhouse Rock, King Creole and G.I. Blues ) filmed in 1957, 1958 and 1960.
Early in 1958, when Elvis was drafted, Scotty began working at Fernwood Records and produced a hit record called "Tragedy" for Thomas Wayne Perkins—brother of Johnny Cash guitarist Luther Perkins.
In 1960, Moore commenced recording sessions with Elvis at RCA, and also served as production manager at Sam Phillips Recording Service, which involved supervising all aspects of studio operation. Moore played on such Presley songs as "Fame And Fortune", "Such A Night", "Frankfort Special", "Surrender", "I Feel So Bad", "Rock-A-Hula Baby", "Kiss Me Quick", "Good Luck Charm", "She's Not You", "(You're The) Devil in Disguise" and "Bossa Nova Baby".
In 1964, Moore released a solo album on Epic Records called The Guitar That Changed the World, played using his Gibson Super 400. For this effort he was fired by Sam Phillips. Moore reunited with Fontana and Presley for the NBC television special known as the '68 Comeback Special, again with his Gibson Super 400 which was also played by Presley. Moore died on June 28, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 84.
Moore's playing on his Gibson with his unique finger-picking style using a thumbpick, as on the Sun and early RCA recordings, represented a move of the Chet Atkins style into a more rockabilly mode. Moore's best performances are often considered precedent-setting.
Moore is given credit as a pioneer rock 'n' roll lead guitarist. Many popular guitarists cite Moore as the performer that brought the lead guitarist to a dominant role in a rock 'n' roll band. Although some lead guitarists/vocalists, such as Chuck Berry and blues legend BB King, had gained popularity by the 1950s, Presley rarely played his own lead while performing, instead providing rhythm guitar and leaving the lead duties to Moore. As a guitarist, Moore was a noticeable presence in Presley's performances, despite his introverted demeanor. He became an inspiration to many subsequent popular guitarists, including Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Page, and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. While Moore was working on his memoir with co-author James L. Dickerson, Richards told Dickerson, "Everyone else wanted to be Elvis—I wanted to be Scotty." Richards has stated many times (Rolling Stone magazine, Life autobiography) that he could never figure out how to play the "stop time" break and figure that Moore plays on "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" (Sun), and that he hopes it will remain a mystery.
While with Presley, Moore initially played a Gibson ES-295 (nicknamed "The Guitar that Changed the World") before switching to a Gibson L5 and subsequently a Gibson Super 400.
One of the key pieces of equipment in Moore's sound on many of the recordings with Elvis, besides his guitars, was the use of the Ray Butts EchoSonic (first used by Chet Atkins), a guitar amplifier with a tape echo built in, which allowed him to take his trademark slapback echo on the road.
Mark Adam portrayed Moore in the 2005 CBS miniseries Elvis.
Emory Smith portrayed Moore in the 1981 documentary film This Is Elvis.
Jesse Dabson played Moore in the 1990 ABC television series Elvis: The Early Years.
The book That's Alright, Elvis: The Untold Story of Elvis's First Guitarist and Manager, is written by Moore as told to James Dickerson. The 2006 book The Blue Moon Boys also tells the story of Moore, Black, and Fontana before, during and after their tenure with Elvis.
Scotty Moore co-wrote the songs "My Kind of Carrying On" and "Now She Cares No More" which were released as Sun 202 on Sun Records in 1954 when he was a member of the group Doug Poindexter and the Starlite Wranglers with Bill Black as the bassist. He co-wrote the instrumental "Have Guitar Will Travel" in 1958 with Bill Black, which was released as a 45 single, 107, on the Fernwood Records label.
For his pioneering contribution, Moore has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Mystery Train
Scotty Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Train I ride, sixteen coaches long
Well, that long black train got my baby and gone
Train, train, comin' 'round the bend
Train, train, comin' 'round the bend
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
No, not again
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Well, it's bringin' my baby 'cause she's mine, all mine
She's mine, all mine
Train, train, comin' 'round, 'round the bend
'Round, 'round the bend
Train, train, comin' 'round, 'round the bend
'Round, 'round the bend
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
Never will again
Scotty Moore's "Mystery Train" is a hauntingly beautiful song that captures the heartache and longing of a lover who has lost his love to a long black train. The song's opening lines, "Train I ride, sixteen coaches long / Well, that long black train got my baby and gone," set the mournful tone for a song that tells of a lover's despair at losing his beloved.
The song's repeated lyrics of "Train, train, comin' 'round the bend" emphasize the inevitability of the train's arrival and the lover's acceptance of his fate. Although the train takes his baby away from him, he remains hopeful that it will bring her back to him one day. He sings, "Well, it's bringin' my baby 'cause she's mine, all mine / She's mine, all mine."
The song's simple but powerful lyrics make it a classic of early rock and roll. It has been covered by many artists over the years, including Elvis Presley, who was a fan of Moore's guitar playing and recorded his own version of "Mystery Train." The song captures the emotions of heartbreak and hope that are central to the human experience, making it a timeless classic that will continue to resonate with listeners for generations to come.
Line by Line Meaning
Train I ride, sixteen coaches long
As I sit on this train, I can see that it has sixteen coaches, and it becomes clear to me that my ride has become an extended journey.
Well, that long black train got my baby and gone
Unfortunately, my lover was carried away by a fearsome long black train and left me all alone.
Train, train, comin' 'round the bend
I can hear a train coming around the bend, and its sound echoes in my desolate heart.
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
Though the train had taken my partner once, it could never do so again for she was gone forever.
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Here comes another train that is making its way down the track, and I cannot help but wonder if it will bring back my love.
Well, it's bringin' my baby 'cause she's mine, all mine
This new train gives me hope that my dear one is aboard it and headed back towards me because she belongs to only me.
Train, train, comin' 'round, 'round the bend
Once again, I hear a train coming around a bend, and the anticipation of whether or not it brings my lover back almost suffocates me.
'Round, 'round the bend
The train curves around the bend while unknown feelings churn inside of me.
Never will again
My partner was gone forever, and no amount of hope or waiting could change that fact.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Herman Parker Jr., Sam Phillips
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marakesh7
Scotty's early contributions to Elvis' Sun recordings are legendary. His innovative and inspirational licks will go down in history. I never tire of listening to his guitar work and he was the template for many of today's guitar legends. The 1968 NBC TV Special showed him in great form alongside Elvis. I will never forget him.
R.I.P. Scotty.
Brian
Mike Walsh
not a week passes without listening to scotty playing on this exciting track an irish, fan bless you scotty
Mike Walsh
this is so powerful i could listen to it over & over RIP Scotty
Carlos Manuel Reus
RIP Scotty Moore, you will always live in Rock and Roll, you are one of the firts guitar gods fo Rock and Roll.
Leslie Suli
A legend in every sense of the word! Amazing style and sound
Les J. Suli
Scotty was such a legendary guitar player! His contribution to Elvis's success cannot be measured
Mare Finnemore
Riding the GREAT MYSTERY TRAIN he is, now. Thank you, for the wonderful years of your music!
Busted Cookout
this song is pure genius
BuicksElvisUSA8 BuicksElvisUSA8
incredible genius! mastermind behind Elvis...what would Elvis have been without Scotty Moore and Bill Black??!!
cards1985
RIP Scotty, legendary player.