Roe was raised in Atlanta, Georgia where he attended Brown High School and was part of band. Greatly influenced by the sounds of the late Buddy Holly, Tommy Roe developed a unique style that, combined with his All-American clean-cut image, made him a popular musical performer throughout the 1960s. In April of 1961 he became a father to daughter Cynthia; he has 3 grandchildren.
Roe had a Billboard No.1 hit record hit in the United States and in Australia in 1962 with the song, "Sheila" and the following year scored two Top 10 hits with "Everybody" and the critically acclaimed "The Folk Singer" written by Merle Kilgore. Following the enormously successful tour of the United Kingdom by friend Roy Orbison, Tommy Roe toured there and then moved to England where he lived for several years. In 1965, he and Jerry Lee Lewis combined with Orbison to create an LP for the Pickwick International label. During the 1960s, he had several more top forty hits. In 1969, his song "Dizzy" went to No.1 on the UK Singles Chart as well as to Billboard's No.1 in the USA. His final Top 40 single was "Jam Up and Jelly Tight" in 1970.
A resident of Beverly Hills, California, Roe is married to Josette Banzet, an actress from France who won a Golden Globe Award for best supporting for her performance in the 1976 television mini-series, Rich Man, Poor Man. His daughter Cynthia still resides in Georgia with her family.
In 1986, Tommy Roe was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and his pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Although his style of music declined in popularity with the 1970s mass market, Tommy Roe maintained a following and continued to perform at a variety of concert venues, sometimes with sixties nostalgia rock and rollers such as Freddy Cannon and Bobby Vee.
Partial discography (singles)
* "Sheila" (1962)
* "Everybody" (1963)
* "The Folk Singer" (1963)
* "Sweet Pea" (1966)
* "Hooray for Hazel" (1966)
* "Dizzy" (1969)
* "Jack And Jill" (1969)
* "Jam Up and Jelly Tight" (1970)
Carol
Tommy Roe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steal your heart away
I'm gonna learn to dance
If it takes me all night and day
Climb into my machine
So we can cruise on out
I know a swinging little joint
It's not too far
Back off the highway
Not so long a ride
You park your car
Out in the open
You can walk inside
A little cutie takes your hat
And you can thank her, maam
Every time you make the scene
You find the joint is jammed
Oh, Carol, don't let him
Steal your heart away
I'm gonna learn to dance
If it takes me all night and day
And if you wanna hear some music
Like the boys are playing
Hold tight, pat your foot
Don't let em carry it away
Don't let the heat overcome you
When they play so loud
Oh, don't the music intrigue you
When they get a crowd
If you can't dance
I know you wish you could
I got my eyes on you, baby
Cause you dance so good
Oh, Carol, don't let him
Steal your heart away
I'm gonna learn to dance
If it takes me all night and day
Don't let him steal your heart away
I've got to learn to dance
If it takes you all night and day
In "Carol", Tommy Roe urges a girl named Carol not to let another guy come between them. He promises to learn how to dance if it means spending more time with her. He suggests they go to a swinging joint by driving his "machine" and "cruising" out. This fun place isn't too far away, and once they get there, there's a little cutie who takes the hats who greets you. It's crowded, but that's part of the excitement. If you want to hear the music, you have to hold tight, pat your foot, and not let them carry it away. If you can't dance, that's fine, but Tommy has his eye on Carol since she's such a good dancer.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Carol, don't let him
The singer is warning Carol not to let someone take advantage of her.
Steal your heart away
The singer is cautioning Carol not to fall in love with this person and risk getting hurt.
I'm gonna learn to dance
The singer wants to impress Carol and is determined to learn how to dance.
If it takes me all night and day
The artist is willing to put in as much effort and time as needed to achieve his goal.
Climb into my machine
The artist is inviting Carol to get into his car.
So we can cruise on out
The singer wants to go on a fun adventure with Carol.
I know a swinging little joint
The singer knows of a popular and exciting hangout spot.
Where we can jump and shout
The artist is promising that they will have a lot of fun dancing and socializing at this location.
It's not too far
The location of the joint is relatively close.
Back off the highway
The joint is located near, but not directly on, the main road.
Not so long a ride
The trip to the joint will not take too much time.
You park your car
The artist is telling Carol where to park her vehicle.
Out in the open
The parking area is exposed to the outside.
You can walk inside
After parking, Carol won't have to go far to reach the joint.
A little cutie takes your hat
The singer is describing the staff at the joint, who are friendly and helpful.
And you can thank her, ma'am
The artist is advising Carol to be polite and show gratitude to the staff.
Every time you make the scene
The artist is emphasizing how popular this joint is.
You find the joint is jammed
The atmosphere inside the joint is lively, with many people enjoying themselves.
And if you wanna hear some music
The singer is providing another offering of the joint, which is to listen to live music.
Like the boys are playing
The artist is suggesting that the music is likely to be upbeat and enjoyable.
Hold tight, pat your foot
The artist is encouraging Carol to groove to the music.
Don't let them carry it away
The artist is warning Carol not to get too caught up in the excitement of dancing and lose control.
Don't let the heat overcome you
The singer is cautioning Carol not to get too hot or dehydrated while dancing.
When they play so loud
The music is loud and intense, making it more exciting to dance to.
Oh, don't the music intrigue you
The singer is asking Carol if she finds the music captivating and interesting.
When they get a crowd
The excitement of the music and dancing is amplified when more people join in.
If you can't dance
The singer is commenting that Carol dances very well.
I know you wish you could
The artist may be implying that Carol is modest about her dancing skills.
I got my eyes on you, baby
The artist is interested in Carol and finds her attractive.
Cause you dance so good
The singer is appreciating Carol's dancing and is drawn to her because of it.
Don't let him steal your heart away
The singer reiterates the warning to Carol not to let this person get too close and hurt her emotionally.
I've got to learn to dance
The artist reiterates his determination to learn how to dance so that he can impress Carol.
If it takes you all night and day
The artist is willing to put in as much effort and time as needed to impress and win over Carol.
Contributed by Stella I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
thisiswright
In my book THE best cover of a Chuck Berry song. A good job putting the video clips together too, even featuring one of our own from 'Down Under' ! 'Snowy' Fleet drumming away once or twice for The Easybeats.
CMissShelleyMichelle
The Stones did a good job as well IMO.
Laura Ferreira de mattos dos santos
Sensacional o rock rooll. dos anos 50/60. Mesmo q seja inspirado nessas decadas, gosto mt. me lembra a infancia e a pre dolescência. Eu viajo nesses tempo, q sao os meus anos de ouro.
Wayne Dunn
Never heard tommy do carol before love it swing it tommy from a tommy roe fan great version he has a much better vioce than chuck berry
Paul Joseph
Out of his skin. Many good covers of Chucks work but this is owned by Tommy who normally did not get so out there. Pow mau mau, guitar and drums with Tommy. Different guitar licks too. Stones version goes in different direction. Beatles covers of Chucks songs were fantastic too and redefined them.
Kjell Hermansson
Best version ever , 100 full ahead
Donna Marie
great version of this song - can you tell me which movies the dance clips are from? These cats can dance : )
SixtiesOnly
+Donna Marie ..Sorry,I can't rmember where I took them from,it was a few years ago.lol
Graeme Smellie
Brilliant cover version
Frankie C
THE VERSION, better than Chuck Berry IMHO. You believe Tommy Roe is NOT in the R&R HOF?!! Huge hit in Philly in `64 that still gets played in the 21st century.