Born in Bristol, Tennessee, to Clarence Thomas Ford and Maud Long, Ford began his radio career as an announcer at station WOPI in Bristol, leaving in 1939 to study classical music and voice at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. 1st Lieut. Ford served in World War II as the bombardier on a B-29 Superfortress flying missions over Japan. After the war, Ford worked at radio stations in San Bernardino and Pasadena, Calif. In San Bernardino, hired as a radio announcer, Ernest J. Ford did the news and general announcing. He was assigned the job of hosting an early morning country music disc jockey programme titled "Bar Nothin' Ranch." To differentiate himself, he created the personality of "Tennessee Ernie," a wild, madcap exaggerated hillbilly. He became popular in the area and was soon hired away by Pasadena's KXLA radio.
At KXLA he continued doing the same show and also joined the cast of Cliffie Stone's popular live KXLA country show "Dinner Bell Roundup" as a vocalist while still doing the early morning broadcast. Stone, a part-time talent scout for Capitol Records, brought him to the attention of the label. In 1949, while still doing his morning show, he signed a contract with Capitol. He also became a local television star as the star of Stone's popular Southern California "Hometown Jamboree" television show. He released almost fifty country singles through the early 1950s, several of which made the charts. Many of his early records, including "The Shot Gun Boogie", "Blackberry Boogie", and so on were exciting, driving boogie-woogie records featuring exciting accompaniment by the Hometown Jamboree band which included Jimmy Bryant on lead guitar and pioneer pedal steel guitarist Speedy West. "I'll Never Be Free", a duet pairing Ford with Capitol Records pop singer Kay Starr, became a huge country and pop crossover hit in 1950.
Ford eventually ended his KXLA morning show and in the early 1950s, moved on from Hometown Jamboree. He took over from bandleader Kay Kyser as host of the television version of the NBC quiz show "College of Musical Knowledge" when it returned briefly in 1954 after a four-year break. He also portrayed the country bumpkin Cousin Ernie on I Love Lucy.
Ford scored an unexpected hit on the pop charts in 1955 with his rendition of Merle Travis' "Sixteen Tons", a sparsely arranged coal-miner's lament that Travis wrote in 1946, based on his own family's experience in the mines of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. With a unique clarinet-driven pop arrangement by Ford's Musical Director, Jack Fascinato, "Sixteen Tons" spent ten weeks at number one on the country charts and eight weeks at number one on the pop charts, and made Ford a crossover star. It became Ford's signature song.
Ford subsequently helmed his own primetime variety programme, The Ford Show, which ran on NBC from 1956 to 1961. Ford's programme was notable for the inclusion of a religious song at the end of every show; Ford insisted on this despite objections from network officials who feared it might provoke controversy. It quickly became the most popular segment of the show. He earned the nickname "The Ol' Pea-Picker" becafter his catch-phrase, "Bless your pea-pickin' heart!"
In 1956 he released Hymns, his first gospel album, which remained on Billboard's "Top Album" charts for a remarkable 277 consecutive weeks; his album Great Gospel Songs won a Grammy Award in 1964. After the NBC show ended, Ford moved his family to Northern California and from 1962 to 1965, hosted a daytime talk show The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show from San Francisco, broadcast over the ABC TV network.
Over the years, Ford has been awarded three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for radio, records, and television. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990.
Ford, who offstage contended with a serious alcohol problem that never affected his professional work, began suffering increasing liver problems in the 1980s that worsened in 1990, the year he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He fell ill in 1991 after leaving a state dinner at the White House hosted by President George Bush, and died in a Virginia hospital on 17th October, exactly thirty-six years after "Sixteen Tons" was released and one day shy of the first anniversary of his induction into the Hall of Fame.
Ford was posthumously recognized for his gospel music contributions by being added to the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1994.
His Hands
Tennessee Ernie Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He puts leaves in the trees
At His whisper, birds start singing
When my heart needs melodies
Why I stray from all His goodness
My poor mind can't understand
I'm to blame for my misfortune
Those hands still give me mercy
Though I'm wrong as wrong can be
If they really gave me justice
I'd be lost on homeless seas
I've been lost in the shuffle
I've obeyed the wrong command
I'm going back to the chapel
In search of His hands
(Those hands still give me mercy)
Though I'm wrong as wrong can be
(If they really gave me justice)
I'd be lost on homeless seas
I've been lost in the shuffle
I've obeyed the wrong commands
I'm going back to the chapel
In search of His hands
The first verse of "His Hands" by Tennessee Ernie Ford highlights the power and majesty of God's hands. It speaks of how He uses His hands to create and care for the world around us, such as painting flowers, putting leaves in trees and prompting birds to sing. Even when our hearts yearn for music and melody, it is His hands that make it happen. The second verse, however, is a lament of the human condition. The singer explains that our limited human understanding cannot comprehend the vastness of God's goodness, and that it is our own fault when we lose our grasp on His hands. Despite this, the singer is grateful for God's mercy and forgiveness, knowing that if He were to give us what we deserve, we would be lost and alone. The third verse expresses a desire to return to the chapel and find solace in God's hands once again, recognizing that we have strayed and made mistakes but that it is never too late to come back to Him.
Line by Line Meaning
His hands paint the flowers
God creates nature's beauty through His Divine hands. Everything that is beautiful in nature is the creation of God's hands.
He puts leaves in the trees
God's hands not only create but also provide sustenance to nature. He is the one who ensures that trees have leaves for photosynthesis and growth.
At His whisper, birds start singing
God's hands have control over everything in nature. Birds sing because of the inherent whispers of God's will that tells them when to start singing.
When my heart needs melodies
God's hands bring joy and comfort to our hearts through music. He is the One who grants us melodies that console us and make us happy.
Why I stray from all His goodness
The imperfect nature of humans makes us turn away from God's goodness. We are often unable to understand His ways and become lost.
My poor mind can't understand
Human comprehension is limited when it comes to understanding God's ways. Our poor minds are unable to grasp the complexities of His plans.
I'm to blame for my misfortune
It is human nature to focus on self rather than trust God. As a result, we often bring misfortune upon ourselves due to our actions and choices.
I lost hold of His hands
When we choose to focus on ourselves instead of God, we lose sight of His Divine hands, which were meant to guide us and show us the right path.
Those hands still give me mercy
Despite our imperfections and mistakes, God's hands still offer us compassion and forgiveness. He continues to show us mercy throughout our lives.
Though I'm wrong as wrong can be
Even though we may feel deserving of punishment for our wrongdoings, God's hands continue to show us love and mercy rather than justice.
If they really gave me justice
If God's hands were to give us justice without mercy, we would be lost and hopeless, unable to bear the weight of the consequences of our actions.
I'd be lost on homeless seas
Without God's mercy, we are like a ship adrift on an endless sea with no direction or destination. We would be lost without the saving grace of His Divine hands.
I've been lost in the shuffle
When we lose sight of God's hands, we become lost in the chaos and confusion of life. We become mere pawns in the game of life, shuffling around aimlessly.
I've obeyed the wrong command
When we lose focus on God's hands, we make choices based on our own limited understanding rather than His wisdom. As a result, we sometimes end up following the wrong commands.
I'm going back to the chapel
The chapel symbolizes a place of worship and faith. It represents a return to God's hands and a renewed focus on His guidance and love.
In search of His hands
The hands of God represent His guidance, love, mercy, and forgiveness. When we seek His hands, we are searching for these qualities, which we need to navigate through life successfully.
Writer(s): Stuart Hamblen
Contributed by Benjamin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.