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)
Me And Jesus
Tom T. Hall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me and Jesus, got our own thing goin'
Me and Jesus, got it all worked out
Me and Jesus, got our own thing goin'
We don't need anybody to tell us what it's all about
[1st Verse]
I know a man, who once was a sinner
And I know a man, who once was a looser
He went out one day and made an alter out of a stump
[2nd Verse]
Jesus brought me through all of my troubles
Jesus brought me through all of my trials
Jesus brought me through all of my heartaches
And I know that Jesus ain't gonna' forsake me now
[Chorus]
[3rd Verse]
We can't afford any fancy preachin'
We can't afford any fancy church
We can't afford any fancy singin'
You know Jesus got a lot of poor people out doin' his work
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Tom T. Hall's song Me And Jesus represent the personal relationship that the singer has with Jesus Christ. The chorus reiterates that the singer and Jesus have their own unique bond, which they have fully figured out and mastered. The singer feels like they do not need anyone else to tell them what their connection with Jesus is or needs to be. The first verse introduces three men who have faced different vices such as alcoholism, sinning, and constant failure. However, one day one of the men made an alter out of a stump and found solace in Jesus. This highlights both the energy of redemption and the ultimate triumph of faith over trauma in the story.
The second verse shows the importance of having faith in Jesus during difficult moments. According to the singer, Jesus brought them through every hardship they had encountered in life, including heartbreaks and trials. The last verse emphasizes how sincere and straightforward the relationship between the singer and Jesus is. They do not need to have fancy preaching, singings, or extravagant churches to connect with Jesus on a personal level. Instead, they rely on Jesus' message of "a lot of poor people doing his work" to be faithful and remain close to him.
Line by Line Meaning
Me and Jesus, got our own thing goin'
My relationship with Jesus is personal and unique, and we have a special connection.
Me and Jesus, got it all worked out
Jesus and I have an understanding of life, and we know how to handle anything that comes our way.
We don't need anybody to tell us what it's all about
We don't rely on others to know what true faith and belief in Jesus is.
I know a man, who once was a sinner
I know a man who used to make poor choices and live a sinful life.
I know a man, who once was a drunk
I know a man who had a drinking problem and struggled with addiction.
And I know a man, who once was a looser
I know a man who was unsuccessful and had difficulty achieving his goals.
He went out one day and made an alter out of a stump
But he found faith in Jesus, and turned his life around and devoted himself to serving God.
Jesus brought me through all of my troubles
Jesus helped me overcome all the challenges and struggles that I faced in life.
Jesus brought me through all of my trials
Jesus supported me through all the difficult experiences that I had to go through.
Jesus brought me through all of my heartaches
Jesus comforted me during times of heartbreak and emotional distress.
And I know that Jesus ain't gonna' forsake me now
I have faith that Jesus will always be there for me and guide me through life.
We can't afford any fancy preachin'
We don't need extravagant sermons or preachers to understand and follow Jesus.
We can't afford any fancy church
We don't need a grand or expensive church building to connect with God and worship.
We can't afford any fancy singin'
We don't need elaborate or professional singing performances during church.
You know Jesus got a lot of poor people out doin' his work
Jesus works through everyday people, and even those who are less fortunate can make a difference in spreading his message and doing good for others.
Me and Jesus, got our own thing goin'
My relationship with Jesus is personal and unique, and we have a special connection.
Me and Jesus, got it all worked out
Jesus and I have an understanding of life, and we know how to handle anything that comes our way.
We don't need anybody to tell us what it's all about
We don't rely on others to know what true faith and belief in Jesus is.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TOM HALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind