He rose to fame in the mid-1960s, with an exuberant live act which included wearing tight breeches and billowing shirts, in an Edwardian style popular amongst his peers at the time. He was known for his overt sexuality, before this was as common as it became in subsequent years.
In 1963 he became the frontman for Tommy Scott and the Senators, a local beat group. Clad all in black leather, Tom soon gained a reputation in the South Wales area. The Senators were still all unheard of in London.
In 1964 they laid down a few tracks with maverick Telstar producer Joe Meek, and took them to various labels in an attempt to get a record deal. The plan was to release a single, Lonely Joe / I Was A Fool, but the ever-flighty Meek refused to release the tapes. The group returned to South Wales and continued to play gigs at dance halls and working mens clubs. One night, at the Top Hat in Cwmtillery, Tom was spotted by Gordon Mills, a London-based manager originally from South Wales. Mills became Tom's manager, and took the young singer to London. He also renamed him Tom Jones. The Senators became the Playboys, and later still the Squires.
Jones was awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist for 1965. It's Not Unusual, after the song having first been offered to Sandie Shaw. Jones recorded what was intended to be a demo for Shaw, but when she heard it she was so impressed with Jones' delivery that she declined the song and recommended that Jones release it himself. The record was the second Decca single Jones released, reaching number one in the UK charts in 1965. It was also the first hit for Jones in the US, peaking at #10 in May of that year. The single was released in the US on the Parrot label and also reached #3 on Billboard's easy listening chart. Jones used this song as the theme for his late 1960s-early 1970s musical variety series This Is Tom Jones. It has since become Jones' signature song.
In 1965 Tom sang the theme tune to the James Bond film Thunderball.
Jones' recording career slumped on the pop charts during the 1970s and 80s, although he placed 16 singles on the Billboard Country Music charts between 1976 and 1985, the biggest of which was "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow" (# 1 Country, # 15 pop) in 1977, and his touring continued successfully. When his son Mark became his manager in 1987, his musical style was taken in a different direction. His recording career was revived with his first major hit single in over a decade, "A Boy From Nowhere", taken from the musical Matador. In 1988 he collaborated with The Art of Noise to record Prince's popular song "Kiss". Following this, he started to record in collaboration with a younger generation of musicians
His Reload album, released in 2000, became the biggest hit of his career. An album of cover versions recorded as duets with contemporary artists, using their record producers, and utilising their recording methods, it reached number one in the United Kingdom, and sold over 4 million copies worldwide.[1] In 2002, he released the album Mr. Jones, which was produced by Wyclef Jean and included the singles "Tom Jones International" and "Black Betty". In 2003, he was honored with a BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2004, his "Sex Bomb" single became a major club hit.
On New Year's Eve 2000 President Bill Clinton invited Tom to perform at the Millennium Celebrations in Washington. Throughout 2000, Tom garnered several honours for his work, including a Brit Award for Best Male. In 2001 Tom toured throughout the Middle East and Europe. In subsequent years Tom recorded albums in collaboration with such artists as Wyclef Jean and Jools Holland.
In celebration of his 65th birthday, on 28 May 2005 Tom returned to his homeland to perform a spectacular concert in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd. This was Tom's first performance in Ponty since 1964.
For his contribution to the recording industry, Tom Jones has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6608 Hollywood Blvd.
In 2005 the album Together In Concert, was recorded live with John Farnham and his band.
He has collaborated with Chicane for "Stoned in Love", a dance track that was released 24 April 2006. It entered at number eight in the UK charts the following Sunday.
In 2007, he signed to New York-based independent label S-Curve, owned by music executive Steve Greenberg.
The singer was awarded an OBE in 1999 and a Knight Bachelor in the 2006 New Years Honours list for his services to music and was subsequently knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, London on 29 March 2006.[7]
On 1 July 2007, Jones was one of the invited artists who performed at Wembley Stadium at the Concert for Diana, joined on stage by guitarist Joe Perry of Aerosmith and British soul singer Joss Stone. He sang the British National Anthem before Ricky Hatton's fight against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on 8 December 2007. On 19 April 2008 he sang the Welsh National Anthem at the Calzaghe-Hopkins fight in Las Vegas.
Although his manager and public relations staff have attempted to change his sex-bomb image and neutralize the knicker-throwing fans, to the delight of his audiences Jones has never felt the need to tone down his behavior in the shows. Tom Jones has remained highly respected by other singers and continues to attract audiences of all ages. As of 2008, Jones continues to tour and record. A major portion of the year he regularly performs his show at the MGM Grand hotel, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, USA. His show at the MGM is performed in a cabaret-style theater. Other venues on his yearly schedule include numerous shows at Atlantic City, NJ and appearances in the USA, United Kingdom and Canada. In February 2007, Jones made a long-awaited South American tour.
On 17 September 2008, Jones announced the release of his retro-tinged album "24 Hours" on S-Curve Records, his first for 15 years in the US; notably, this is the first record in which he's had a direct song-writing input. It was produced largely by drum'n'bass stalwarts Future Cut.
"It's all very well just singing songs," says Jones, "but for this record I really wanted to get properly personal. I've been getting reflective recently, looking over my journey through life, and I wanted to get that down on song. This time I wanted to make something that was all about me, my stories, my life. In other words, you listen to this album and you get the real me."
The Hitter
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was just passing through and got caught in the rain
There's nothing I want, nothing that you need say
Just let me lie down for a while and I'll be on my way
I was no more than a kid when you put me on the Southern Queen
With the police on my back I fled to New Orleans
I fought in the dockyards and with the money I made
Baton Rouge, Poncitoula, and Lafayette town
Well they paid me their money Ma I knocked the men down
I did what I did well it come easily
Restraint and mercy Ma were always strangers to me
I fought champion Jack Thompson in a field full of mud
Rain poured through the tent to the canvas and mixed with our blood
In the twelfth I slipped my tongue over my broken jaw
I stood over him and pounded his bloody body into the floor
Well the bell rang and rang and still I kept on
Till I felt my glove leather slip 'tween his skin and bone
Then the women and the money came fast and the days I lost track
The women red, the money green, but the numbers were black
I fought for the men in their silk suits to lay down their bets
I took my good share Ma, I have no regrets
Then I took the fix at the state armory with big John McDowell
From high in the rafters I watched myself fall
As he raised his arm my stomach twisted and the sky it went black
I stuffed my bag with their good money and I never looked back
Understand, in the end Ma every man plays the game
If you know me one different then speak out his name
Ma if my voice now you don't recognize
Then just open the door and look into your dark eyes
I ask of you nothing, not a kiss not a smile,
Just open the door and let me lie down for a while
Now the gray rain's falling and my ring fightin's done
So in the work fields and alleys I take all who'll come
If you're a better man than me then just step to the line
Now there's nothing I want Ma nothing that you need say
Just let me lie down for a while and I'll be on my way
Tonight in the shipyard a man draws a circle in the dirt
I move to the center and I take off my shirt
I study him for the cuts, the scars, the pain,
Man, nor the time can erase
I move hard to the left and I strike to the face
The song "The Hitter" by Tom Jones tells the story of a man who was put on a path of violence from a young age, and who made a living as a boxer. He speaks to his mother, asking her to let him rest for a little while, having fought for so long. He tells her about his life, how he fled from the police and traveled to New Orleans, and how he fought his way to becoming a successful boxer in towns like Poncitoula and Baton Rouge. He fought for money and became a champion, but it seems that the violence has left him worn out and tired. The final lines suggest that he is still fighting, but not in the ring. Instead, he is fighting for survival on the streets and in the alleyways.
The lyrics of "The Hitter" examine the theme of violence, and how it can consume a person's life. The singer has been on this path of violence since he was a child, and it has shaped his entire existence. Despite his success as a boxer, he acknowledges that violence has always been a part of him, and that it has taken a toll. The lyrics also examine the relationship between a mother and her son, and the love and forgiveness that she can offer.
Overall, "The Hitter" is a poignant and thought-provoking song that explores the human condition and the impact of violence on a person's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Come to the door Ma, and unlock the chain
Please open the door and let me in
I was just passing through and got caught in the rain
I was traveling and got caught in a storm
There's nothing I want, nothing that you need say
I don't need anything from you, no words are necessary
Just let me lie down for a while and I'll be on my way
Please let me rest for a bit before I continue on my journey
I was no more than a kid when you put me on the Southern Queen
I was very young when you sent me away on a boat called the Southern Queen
With the police on my back I fled to New Orleans
I ran away to New Orleans because the police were chasing me
I fought in the dockyards and with the money I made
I worked and fought in the docks, and earned some money
I knew the fight was my home and blood was my trade
I realized that fighting was my home and my job was to shed blood
Baton Rouge, Poncitoula, and Lafayette town
These are names of places where I fought
Well they paid me their money Ma I knocked the men down
People in those places paid me to fight, and I won those fights
I did what I did well it come easily
I was good at fighting, it was easy for me
Restraint and mercy Ma were always strangers to me
I never showed restraint or mercy while fighting
I fought champion Jack Thompson in a field full of mud
I fought a champion named Jack Thompson in a muddy field
Rain poured through the tent to the canvas and mixed with our blood
It was raining and our blood mixed with the mud in the canvas of the tent we fought in
In the twelfth I slipped my tongue over my broken jaw
In the twelfth round of the fight, I licked my broken jaw
I stood over him and pounded his bloody body into the floor
I beat Jack Thompson so badly that his body was covered in blood, and I knocked him to the floor
Well the bell rang and rang and still I kept on
The bell rang to signal the end of the fight, but I continued to beat him
Till I felt my glove leather slip 'tween his skin and bone
I punched him so hard that I felt my glove go through his skin and hit his bones
Then the women and the money came fast and the days I lost track
After that fight, I became popular with women and started earning a lot of money. Time began to blur together
The women red, the money green, but the numbers were black
I made a lot of money and slept with a lot of women. But on paper, my income was only black numbers
I fought for the men in their silk suits to lay down their bets
Rich men in suits bet on me to win my fights
I took my good share Ma, I have no regrets
I took my cut of the earnings and I'm not sorry about it
Then I took the fix at the state armory with big John McDowell
I took a bribe to lose a fight from a man named John McDowell at a government-run building
From high in the rafters I watched myself fall
I watched myself lose the fight from a high vantage point
As he raised his arm my stomach twisted and the sky it went black
As the other fighter raised his arm in victory, I felt sick and everything went dark
I stuffed my bag with their good money and I never looked back
I took the money from the bribe and left, never looking back
Understand, in the end Ma every man plays the game
Everyone eventually cheats or plays unfairly
If you know me one different then speak out his name
If you know someone who is different from me, let me know
Ma if my voice now you don't recognize
If my voice has changed and you no longer recognize me
Then just open the door and look into your dark eyes
Open the door and look into your own dark eyes
I ask of you nothing, not a kiss not a smile,
I don't want anything else from you, not even affection
Just open the door and let me lie down for a while
Just let me rest for a bit before I continue on my journey
Now the gray rain's falling and my ring fightin's done
It's now raining and I'm done with fighting in the ring
So in the work fields and alleys I take all who'll come
I'll take any job that comes my way, even if it's in fields or alleys
If you're a better man than me then just step to the line
If you think you're better than me, then challenge me
Now there's nothing I want Ma nothing that you need say
I don't need anything from you, and you don't need to say anything
Just let me lie down for a while and I'll be on my way
Please let me rest for a bit before I continue on my journey
Tonight in the shipyard a man draws a circle in the dirt
In the shipyard tonight, a man has drawn a circle in the dirt
I move to the center and I take off my shirt
I stepped into the circle and removed my shirt
I study him for the cuts, the scars, the pain,
I examine the other man for any advantage I can use (cuts, scars, etc.)
Man, nor the time can erase
These signs of pain won't go away with time
I move hard to the left and I strike to the face
I quickly moved to the left and punched the other man in the face
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind