As a teen, Hall put together a band called the Kentucky Travelers that performed before movies for a travelling theater. During a stint in the Army, Hall performed over the Armed Forces Radio Network and wrote comic songs about Army experiences. His early career included being a radio announcer at WRON, a local radio station in Ronceverte, West Virginia.
Hall's big break came in 1963 when singer Jimmy C. Newman recorded his song "DJ For a Day." In 1964 Hall moved to Nashville, TN, and within months had songs climbing the charts. Nicknamed "The Story Teller", he has written songs for dozens of country stars such as Johnny Cash, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings, and Alan Jackson.
One of the most popular songs, "Harper Valley PTA", was originally recorded in 1968 by Jeannie C. Riley, sold over six million copies, and won both a Grammy and CMA award. The song later would inspire the motion picture and television program of the same name.
Hall's own recording career took off after that and he had such hits as "A Week in the Country Jail," "Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine," "I Love," "Country Is", "The Year Clayton Delaney Died," "The Old Side of Town," and "I Like Beer." He was also noted for his children's songs, the most popular being "Sneaky Snake".
He also hosted the syndicated country music TV show Pop Goes the Country.
His son, Dean Hall, is also a singer and is member of the MuzikMafia.
A hard-rock adaptation of his song I love was featured in a series of successful television commercials for Coors beer.
Hall largely retired from writing new material in 1986 and from performing in 1994; his final public performance, which was also his first in several years, was in 2011.
Discography
Singles Written and Performed By Tom T. Hall
* "I Washed My Face in the Morning Dew" (#30, 1967)
* "Ain't Got The Time" (#68, 1968)
* "The World The Way I Want It" (#66, 1968)
* "Ballad of Forty Dollars" (#4, 1969)
* "Homecoming" (#5, 1969)
* "Strawberry Farms" (#40, 1969)
* "Day Drinkin'" (#23, 1970)
* "Salute to a Switchblade" (#8, 1970)
* "Shoeshine Man" (#8, 1970)
* "A Week in a Country Jail" (#1, 1970)
* "Ode to Half a Pound of Ground Round" (#21, 1971)
* "One Hundred Children" (#14, 1971)
* "The Year That Clayton Delaney Died" (#1, 1971) (also reached #42 on the Pop Singles Chart)
* "Me and Jesus" (#8, 1972) (also reached #92 on the Pop Chart)
* "More About John Henry" (#26, 1972)
* "The Monkey That Became President" (#11, 1972)
* "Old Dogs, Children, And Watermelon Wine" (#1, 1973)
* "Ravishing Ruby" (#3, 1973)
* "Spokane Motel Blues" (#16, 1973)
* "Watergate Blues" (#16, 1973)
* "Country Is" (#1, 1974)
* "I Love" (#1, 1974) (also reached #2 on the Adult Contemporary Chart and #12 on the Pop Singles Chart)
* "Sneaky Snake" (#69, 1974) (reached #55 on the Pop Singles Chart the following year)
* "That Song Is Driving Me Crazy" (#2, 1974) (also reached #63 on the Pop Singles Chart)
* "Deal" (#8, 1975)
* "I Care" (#1, 1975)
* "I Like Beer" (#4, 1975)
* "Faster Horses (The Cowboy And The Poet)" (#1, 1976)
* "Fox On The Run" (#9, 1976)
* "Negatory Romance" (#24, 1976)
* "It's All in the Game" (#12, 1977)
* "Your Man Loves You, Honey" (#4, 1977)
* "What Have You Got to Lose" (#9, 1978)
* "Son of Clayton Delaney" (#14, 1979)
* "You Show Me Your Heart (And I'll Show You Mine)" (#11, 1979)
* "Back When Gas Was Thirty Cents a Gallon" (#36, 1980)
* "Jesus On the Radio (Daddy On the Phone)" (#9, 1980)
* "Solder Of Fortune" (#51, 1980)
* "The Old Side of Town" (#9, 1980)
* "Everything From Jesus To Jack Daniels (#42, 1983)
* "P.S. I Love You" (#8, 1984)
* "A Bar with No Beer" (#40, 1985)
* "Down At The Mall" (#65, 1986)
Singles Written By Tom T. Hall But Performed By Other Artists
* "Mad" performed by Dave Dudley (#6, 1964)
* "Artificial Rose" performed by Jimmy C. Newman (#8, 1965)
* "Back In Circulation" performed by Jimmy C. Newman (#13, 1965)
* "City of the Angels" performed by Jimmy C. Newman (#37, 1965)
* "What We're Fighting For" performed by Dave Dudley (#4, 1966)
* "Back Pocket Money" performed by Jimmy C. Newman (#10, 1966)
* "California Uptight Band" performed by Flatt & Scruggs (#20, 1967)
* "Dropping Out of Sight" performed by Jimmy C. Newman (#32, 1967)
* "Louisiana Saturday Night" performed by Jimmy C. Newman (#24, 1967)
* "Town That Broke My Heart" performed by Bobby Bare (#16, 1968)
* "Anything Leaving Town Today" performed by Dave Dudley (#12, 1968)
* "There Ain't No Easy Run" performed by Dave Dudley (#10, 1968)
* "Harper Valley PTA" performed by Jeannie C. Riley (#1, 1968) (also reached #1 on the Pop Singles Chart and #4 on the Adult Contemporary Chart)
* "Greenwich Village Folk Song Salesman" performed by Jim & Jesse (#49, 1968)
* "(Margie's At) The Lincoln Park Inn" performed by Bobby Bare (#4, 1969)
* "George (And the Northwoods)" performed by Dave Dudley (#10, 1969)
* "One More Mile" performed by Dave Dudley (#12, 1969)
* "Boo Dan" peroformed by Jimmy C. Newman (#31, 1969)
* "That's How I Got To Memphis" performed by Bobby Bare (#3, 1970)
* "Pool Shark" performed by Dave Dudley (#1, 1970)
* "If I Ever Fall in Love (With a Honky Tonk Girl)" performed by Faron Young (#4, 1970)
* "Second Handed Flowers" performed by George Jones (#5, 1972)
* "You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)" performed by Johnny Rodriguez (#1, 1973) (also #86 on the Pop Singles Chart)
* "I Can Still Hear the Music in the Restroom" performed by Jerry Lee Lewis (#13, 1975)
* "I'm Not Ready Yet" performed by George Jones (#2, 1980)
* "Dropping Out Of Sight" performed by Bobby Bare (#35, 1981)
* "Little Bitty" performed by Alan Jackson (#1, 1996)
* "That's How I Got To Memphis" performed by Deryl Dodd (#36, 1996)
Fox On The Run
Tom T. Hall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She walks through the corn leadin' down to the river
Her hair shone like gold in the hot mornin' sun
She took all the love that a poor boy could give her
And left me to die like a fox on the run
Like a fox, like a fox, like a fox on the run
Now everybody knows the reason for my fall
This woman tempted me and she took me for a ride
Like a lonely fox, boys, i need a place to hide
[Chorus]
Oh, we'll drink a glass of wine, boys, to purify our soul
We'll talk about the world and the friends we used to know
I see a string of girls who have put me on before
The game is nearly over and the hounds are at the door
[Chorus]
In Tom T. Hall's song Fox On The Run, the singer reflects on his past mistakes and the consequences that follow. The song opens with the description of a woman walking through a cornfield, shining like gold in the hot sun. She takes all the love a poor boy could give her, only to leave him behind, feeling like a fox on the run. The chorus repeats this phrase, emphasizing the sense of entrapment and fear that the singer feels.
The second verse reveals the reason for the singer's downfall. He was tempted by a woman down in paradise hall, and she took him for a ride. The metaphorical language of the fox on the run continues to signify his sense of being hunted and chased. He needs a place to hide, and the woman's betrayal has left him feeling alone and abandoned.
In the final verse, the singer reflects on the past, drinking wine and talking with friends about the world and the girls who have put him on before. However, the game is nearly over, and the hounds are at the door. The sense of impending doom and the idea of the hunters catching their prey mirrors the overall theme of the song.
Overall, Fox On The Run explores the themes of betrayal, temptation, and the consequences that follow. The imagery of the fox on the run creates a sense of urgency and danger, emphasizing the emotional turmoil that the singer feels.
Line by Line Meaning
She walks through the corn leadin' down to the river
She strolls through the cornfields and heads towards the river
Her hair shone like gold in the hot mornin' sun
Her hair, reflecting the early morning sun, reminded me of shimmering gold
She took all the love that a poor boy could give her
She accepted all the love I had to offer despite my financial poverty
And left me to die like a fox on the run
And abandoned me to face the consequences of my mistakes, just like a fox fleeing from the hounds
Like a fox, like a fox, like a fox on the run
Similar to a fox on the run, trying to escape danger
Now everybody knows the reason for my fall
Now my downfall is a widely known fact
A woman tempted me down in paradise hall
A woman lured me to a place of temptation in Paradise Hall
This woman tempted me and she took me for a ride
This lady seduced me and took me for a wild ride
Like a lonely fox, boys, I need a place to hide
Just like a lonely fox, I need somewhere to hide from the hunters
Oh, we'll drink a glass of wine, boys, to purify our soul
We'll consume wine to cleanse our souls
We'll talk about the world and the friends we used to know
We'll engage in conversation about the world and the friends we previously had
I see a string of girls who have put me on before
I see a series of ladies who previously took advantage of me
The game is nearly over and the hounds are at the door
Time is running out, and the danger is almost upon me
Like a fox, like a fox, like a fox on the run
Just like a fox fleeing danger, I must also run in order to survive
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN FRANCIS CONNOLLY, STEPHEN NORMAN PRIEST, MICHAEL THOMAS TUCKER, ANDREW SCOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CAROLUSPRIMA
@@HazzardTony Thank you. And as a songwriter my own self I confess to being a bit star struck.
Tom T was one of my best friends and paid you quite the compliment by recording this. As you know he recorded very few songs that he didn’t write.
I do think, however, that the definitive bluegrass version (though not the first bluegrass version, which many do not realize) was the Country Gentlemen cut circa 1971. After Charlie Waller sang that song it stayed sung.
Anyway I think I’m qualified to say that Rocky Top and Fox On the Run are the two most requested bluegrass songs ever.
Take care and good to see you’re still around. I’ve heard your name forever it seems and never dreamed I’d communicate with you. My heroes have always been songwriters.
Take care.
@reberlin
My pop played this song on so many stages throughout my life. Parkinson’s has stolen his ability and will eventually take him from this world. This song brings me back to better times with my pop.
@flowerchildsmile
I was blessed to have met Tom T.Hall twice in the seventies. He was such a deep and wise gentleman and so talented. I miss him. #RIP my friend.
@salvagemonster3612
I wish FM radio still had country music on it. Sad days
@HazzardTony
This version won me an award, for which many thanks. cheers Tony Hazzard
@folkchick1
Thanks for such a great song! I just heard it for the first time earlier this year. My buddy and I are learning it now. I love your chord progression from Am D C G! Take care!
@HazzardTony
@@folkchick1 Thanks for your appreciation, folkchick1! And good luck with learning it!
@CAROLUSPRIMA
So you’re that guy. You’ve caused me enormous grief. I was on the road with a bluegrass band for decades and had to do this song over and over and over. Requested almost every night and it wasn’t even a song I’d recorded.
But seriously you sure have quite the legacy if you’d never written anything else. That’s the sort of song that all songwriters dream of writing: a bonafide classic for all the ages. That song will be sung 200 years from now if civilization stands.
@HazzardTony
@@CAROLUSPRIMA Thank you, Carolvs. I do apologise for your grief. I hope it will be remembered after I'm gone.... Thank you, again.
@CAROLUSPRIMA
@@HazzardTony Thank you. And as a songwriter my own self I confess to being a bit star struck.
Tom T was one of my best friends and paid you quite the compliment by recording this. As you know he recorded very few songs that he didn’t write.
I do think, however, that the definitive bluegrass version (though not the first bluegrass version, which many do not realize) was the Country Gentlemen cut circa 1971. After Charlie Waller sang that song it stayed sung.
Anyway I think I’m qualified to say that Rocky Top and Fox On the Run are the two most requested bluegrass songs ever.
Take care and good to see you’re still around. I’ve heard your name forever it seems and never dreamed I’d communicate with you. My heroes have always been songwriters.
Take care.
@donhoward2313
Rest in peace, Tom. You were a great singer and songwriter and all the stories you told in your songs will stand the test of time.