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)
Homecoming
Tom T. Hall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To let you know that I was coming home
I've been gone so many years
I didn't realize you had a phone
I saw your cattle coming in,
Boy they're looking mighty fat and slick
I saw fred at the service station
You heard my record on the radio
Oh, well it's just another song
But I've got a hit recorded
And it'll be out on the market 'fore too long
I got this ring in mexico
No, it didn't cost me quite a bunch
When you're in the business that I'm in
The people call it puttin' up a front
I know I've lost a little weight
I guess I am looking kind of pale
If you didn't know me better, dad
You'd think that I'd just gotten out of jail
No, we don't ever call them beer joints
Night clubs are the places that I work
You meet a lot of people there, but no,
There ain't much chance of gettin' hurt
I'm sorry that I couldn't be there with you all when momma passed away
I was on the road and when they came and told me it was just too late
I drove by the grave to see her, boy,
That really is a pretty stone
I'm glad that fred and jan are here,
It's better than you being here alone
Well I knew you's gonna ask me
Who the lady is that's sleeping in the car
That's just a girl who works for me
And, man, she plays a pretty mean guitar
We worked in San Antone last night,
She didn't even have the time to dress
She drove me down from nashville and
To tell the truth I guess she needs the rest
Well, dad, I gotta go,
We got a dance to work in cartersville tonight
Let me take your number down,
I'll call you, and I promise you I'll write
Now you be good and don't be chasin'
All those pretty women that you know
And by the way if you see barbara walker
Tell her that I said "hello."
The song "Homecoming" by Tom T. Hall is a poignant account of the return home of a musician who has been away for many years. The song is told from the perspective of the musician, who is reconnecting with his father and his hometown after being on the road for so long. The musician expresses regret for not staying in touch with his family, and for missing important events like his mother's passing. He also shares details about his life on the road, and the experiences he has had as a performer.
The lyrics suggest that despite the distance between the musician and his family, there is still a deep sense of connection between them. The mention of cattle and other local details indicate that the musician is still connected to his roots, and that he values this connection. At the same time, the lyrics also suggest that the musician has changed a lot since leaving home. He has lost weight and looks pale, and he is now part of a world that his father may not fully understand. Nevertheless, there is a sense of mutual respect and affection between them, as the musician promises to call and write, and his father tells him to be good and not chase after pretty women.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess I should've written, dad
I should have notified you that I was coming home.
To let you know that I was coming home
To inform you of my return to our house.
I've been gone so many years
I have been away from home for a long time.
I didn't realize you had a phone
I was unaware of you owning a telephone.
I saw your cattle coming in,
I noticed the cows coming to the barn.
Boy they're looking mighty fat and slick
They appear to be plump and glowing with health.
I saw fred at the service station
I caught sight of Fred refueling his vehicle.
Told me that his wife is awful sick
He mentioned that his spouse is severely unwell.
You heard my record on the radio
You listened to my song being broadcasted over the airwaves.
Oh, well it's just another song
It's merely a piece of music.
But I've got a hit recorded
I have recorded a popular song.
And it'll be out on the market 'fore too long
It will be available for purchase soon enough.
I got this ring in mexico
I obtained this piece of jewelry from Mexico.
No, it didn't cost me quite a bunch
It wasn't expensive.
When you're in the business that I'm in
Working in my profession.
The people call it puttin' up a front
Many people refer to it as pretending.
I know I've lost a little weight
I acknowledge that I’ve shed some pounds.
I guess I am looking kind of pale
I suppose my skin has lightened somewhat.
If you didn't know me better, dad
If you didn't know me as well as you do, Father.
You'd think that I'd just gotten out of jail
You might believe that I’ve recently been released from prison.
No, we don't ever call them beer joints
I never refer to them as bars.
Night clubs are the places that I work
I perform at nightclubs.
You meet a lot of people there, but no,
I encounter many individuals there, but there isn't a high risk of danger.
There ain't much chance of gettin' hurt
There is not a considerable possibility of becoming injured.
I'm sorry that I couldn't be there with you all when momma passed away
I apologize that I could not be with you when Mother passed away.
I was on the road and when they came and told me it was just too late
I was traveling, and when they notified me, it was too late.
I drove by the grave to see her, boy
I visited her burial site in passing.
That really is a pretty stone
Her headstone is quite lovely.
I'm glad that fred and jan are here
I'm happy that Fred and Jan are present.
It's better than you being here alone
It's preferable to you being by yourself.
Well I knew you's gonna ask me
I anticipated you would inquire of me.
Who the lady is that's sleeping in the car
You will be curious as to the identity of the young lady napping in the auto.
That's just a girl who works for me
Simply an employee of mine.
And, man, she plays a pretty mean guitar
She is quite skilled at playing the guitar.
We worked in San Antone last night
We performed in San Antonio last night.
She didn't even have the time to dress
She didn't have enough time to put on nice clothing.
She drove me down from nashville and
She drove me from Nashville, and
To tell the truth I guess she needs the rest
Honestly, I think she needs some rest.
Well, dad, I gotta go
Father, I must leave.
We got a dance to work in cartersville tonight
We have a dance to perform at in Cartersville tonight.
Let me take your number down
Please permit me to save your phone number.
I'll call you, and I promise you I'll write
I will contact you, and I pledge to write to you.
Now you be good and don't be chasin'
You behave yourself and don't pursue
All those pretty women that you know
All of those beautiful women you’re familiar with.
And by the way if you see barbara walker
Additionally, if you happen to run into Barbara Walker,
Tell her that I said 'hello.'
Inform her that I conveyed my greetings.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LISA COLEMAN, WENDY MELVOIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cjmueller5455
His music could always touch some part of your psyche that no one else could.
Genius.
@dodgelandesman9473
RIP to one of the finest chroniclers of the American experience, a true poet
@RemingtonRidersMusic
This is my favorite TTH song. It's so simple and so deep at the same time... totally paints a picture of a lifestyle. Rest in peace, Mr. Hall, you will be missed.
@harmgregory4560
One of the greatest songs ever...BY someone who could have a pretty accurate claim on being the greatest country singer ever.
@devinbowen1609
It’s a done deal he is the greatest
@arielchris1155
Pro trick: watch series on Flixzone. Been using them for watching lots of of movies during the lockdown.
@sagegary993
@Ariel Chris Yea, have been using Flixzone for years myself =)
@HarpethRealty
Songwriter yes. But singer has to be GJ.
@williejackson5404
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
@jimtaylor4459
One of the all-time great songwriters. You are missed, Tom T. RIP.