Self-taught on the guitar, Otis Whitman worked at a shipyard in Tampa while developing a musical career, eventually performing with a band known as the "Variety Rhythm Boys". Whitman's first big break came when agent Colonel Tom Parker heard him singing on the radio and offered to represent him. Signed with RCA Records, he was billed as the cowboy singer, "Slim Whitman" and released his first 45rpm single in 1948. He toured and sang at a variety of venues including on the popular radio show, the Louisiana Hayride.
He only became a full time musician in the early 1950s after he recorded a version of the Bob Nolan hit Love Song of the Waterfall that made it into the country music Top 10 chart. His next single, Indian Love Call, was even more successful, going to the No.2 position (and actually saving the world in the 1996 movie Mars Attacks! where it proves fatal to the invading Martians). A yodeler, Whitman avoided the "down on yer luck-buried in booze" songs, preferring instead to sing laid-back romantic melodies about simple life and love.
In 1955, in the United Kingdom, he had a No.1 hit on the pop music charts with Rose Marie. With eleven weeks at the top of the charts, the song set a record that lasted for thirty-six years. Soon after recording this big hit Whitman was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry and in 1957, along with other musical stars, he appeared in the film musical, Jamboree. Despite this type of exposure, he never achieved the level of stardom in the United States that he did in Britain where he had a number of hits during the 1950s and 60s. Throughout the early 1970s, he continued to record and was a guest on Wolfman Jack's musical television show, The Midnight Special. At the time, Whitman's recording efforts were yielding only minor hits and in 1974 he stopped making new records.
Cattle Call
Slim Whitman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Woo - hoo - ooo - oop - i - de - de
Woo - hoo - woo - ooo - ti - de
Yod - el - od - el - lo - ti - de.
The cattle are prowlin' the coyotes are howlin'
Way out where the dogies bawl
Where spurs are a - jinglin', a cowboy is singin'
He rides in the sun 'til his days work is done
And he rounds up the cattle each fall
Woo - hoo - woo - ooo - ti - de
Singin' his cattle call.
For hours he will ride on the range far and wide
When the night winds blow up a squall
His heart is a feather in all kinds of weather
He sings his cattle call.
He's brown as a berry from ridin' the prairie
And he sings with an ol' western drawl
Woo - hoo - woo - ooo - ti - de
Singin' his cattle call.
The lyrics to Slim Whitman's song "Cattle Call" depict a cowboy who rides on the range and sings a lonesome cattle call. The first stanza consists of a string of articulated sounds that sound like yodeling. The second stanza speaks of the cattle prowling and the coyotes howling, bringing to mind a harsh, desolate environment. The cowboy rounds up the cattle each fall, and his spurs are a-jingling. Even though he is surrounded by livestock, he is alone, and the cattle call is his only companion on the range.
The third stanza speaks of the cowboy's resilience and strength. He rides in the sun until his work is done, and he sings his cattle call throughout. The next stanza describes how he rides on the range for hours, far and wide, and sings his cattle call even in the harshest of weather. He is described as being "brown as a berry" from ridin' the prairie, and his voice is tinged with an old-western drawl. The cowboys' resilience, ruggedness, and self-reliance are emphasized in the lyrics, evoking the image of a true cowboy who can handle anything that comes his way.
Line by Line Meaning
Woo - hoo - woo - ooo - ti - de
The cowboy is calling out to the cattle with a distinctive and familiar sound.
Woo - hoo - ooo - oop - i - de - de
The cowboy is continuing to make vocalizations that are meant to grab the attention of the cattle.
Yod - el - od - el - lo - ti - de.
The cowboy is adding variation to his call, with a yodel sound that echoes across the wilderness.
The cattle are prowlin' the coyotes are howlin'
The scene is set with an image of the untamed landscape, with wild animals and livestock roaming free.
Way out where the dogies bawl
The cowboy is on the outskirts of civilization, in a place where the cattle can roam free and be heard.
Where spurs are a - jinglin', a cowboy is singin'
The sound of the spurs is heard as the cowboy rides his horse, and he complements the sound with his singing.
This lonesome cattle call.
The sound is emblematic of the loneliness and solitude of the cowboy's life on the range.
He rides in the sun 'til his days work is done
The cowboy works tirelessly under the bright sun and keeps going until he has completed his chores.
And he rounds up the cattle each fall
The cowboy has an essential job of rounding up the cattle, and he performs this duty every year.
For hours he will ride on the range far and wide
The cowboy's job requires him to explore the vast range and look for cattle that have strayed from the herd.
When the night winds blow up a squall
The cowboy endures harsh weather conditions, including strong winds on stormy nights.
His heart is a feather in all kinds of weather
The cowboy has a stoic attitude and doesn't let weather conditions get him down.
He sings his cattle call.
The cowboy's singing is a way to connect with the cattle, and helps him to keep up his spirits while he works.
He's brown as a berry from ridin' the prairie
The cowboy has a sun-kissed complexion from spending long hours outdoors.
And he sings with an ol' western drawl
The cowboy's singing voice is distinctive and reflects his southern heritage.
Woo - hoo - woo - ooo - ti - de
The cowboy's signature vocalization echoes through the wilderness as he continues to work.
Singin' his cattle call.
The sound of the cowboy's singing voice is emblematic of his work and his life on the range.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: TEX OWENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Don Simms
Rest in Peace, Slim. Thanks for the help with the martians
Daithi o beag
Ha ha!
Joeykm1972
@Daithi o beag I think he did the Indian Love Call for that one.
Angela Walker
Slim Whitman is a good country singerespialley cattle call.
Chris Yuri
@Joeykm1972 yupp ^^ many good songs, I also love "I'm a fool"
bmwnasher
My old dad loved him.
4100susie
His pure voice was adored in our family. My uncle (who loved his records) died in1961, at age 30. I will remember Slim forever.
Buck Fizzard
He didn't even have to see this great nation ripped down
Stuck Case
My father loved this song—he passed from us Jan 14–I cry listening to it—he could nail it just like Slim
Susan Jordan
I'm so sorry for your loss.