His biggest hit was "In the Jailhouse Now," which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one. Pierce also charted number one for several weeks' each with his recordings of "Slowly" (1954), "Love, Love, Love" (1955), "I Don't Care" (1955), "There Stands the Glass" (1953), "More and More" (1954), "I Ain't Never" (1959), and his first number one "Wondering," which stayed at the top spot for four of its 27 weeks' charting in 1952.
For many, Pierce, with his flamboyant Nudie suits and twin silver dollar-lined convertibles, became the most recognizable face of country music of the era and its excesses. Pierce was a one-time member of the Grand Ole Opry and was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Born in West Monroe, Louisiana in 1921, as a boy Pierce was infatuated with Gene Autry films and his mother's hillbilly records, particularly those of Jimmie Rodgers and Western swing and Cajun groups. He began to play guitar before he was a teenager and at 15 was given his own weekly 15-minute show, Songs by Webb Pierce, on KMLB-AM in Monroe.
He enlisted in the US Army, and in 1942 he married Betty Jane Lewis. After he was discharged, the couple moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where Pierce worked in the men's department of a Sears Roebuck store. In 1947, the couple appeared on KTBS-AM's morning show as "Webb Pierce with Betty Jane, the Singing Sweetheart". Pierce also performed at local engagements, developing his unique style that was once described to be "a wailing whiskey-voiced tenor that wrang out every drop of emotion."
In 1949, California-based 4 Star Records signed the Webbs under separate contracts, with his wife signed for duets with her husband under the name Betty Jane and Her Boyfriends. However, success only came for Pierce, and in the summer of 1950, the couple divorced.
He moved to KWKH-AM and joined Louisiana Hayride during its first year and devised a plan to achieve instant "stardom." Before the show, he bought tickets for several young girls in line and asked them to sit in the first row, and after each of his songs to scream and beg for more. It worked; their enthusiasm spread throughout the audience.
Pierce assembled and performed with a band of local Shreveport musicians, including pianist Floyd Cramer, guitarist-vocalist Faron Young, bassist Tillman Franks and vocalists Teddy and Doyle Wilburn. He also founded a record label, Pacemaker; and Ark-La-Tex Music, a publishing company, with Horace Logan, the director of the Hayride. On Pacemaker, Pierce made several records between 1950 and 1951 designed to attract radio play around Louisiana.
In 1951, Pierce got out of his 4 Star contract and was quickly signed by Decca Records. His second single, "Wondering", became his breakthrough hit, climbing to No. 1 early in 1952. Pierce moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he met and married his second wife, Audrey Greisham. In June 1952, he had his second No. 1 single with "That Heart Belongs to Me".
In September 1953, the Grand Ole Opry needed to fill the vacancy left by the firing of Hank Williams, and Pierce was invited to join the cast. After Williams' death, he became the most popular singer in country music; for the next four years, every single he released hit the top ten, with ten reaching No. 1, including "There Stands the Glass" (1953), "Slowly" (1954), "More and More" (1954), and "In the Jailhouse Now" (1955). His singles spent 113 weeks at No. 1 during the 1950s, when he charted 48 singles. Thirty-nine reached the top ten, 26 reached the top four and 13 hit No. 1.
Other hits included "Back Street Affair", "Why Baby Why", "Oh, So Many Years", and "Finally"; the latter two being duets with Kitty Wells. His 1954 recording of "Slowly" was one of the first country songs to include a pedal steel guitar.[2] He made regular appearances on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee including as a guest host once a month during 1956. In 1958, he recorded a rockabilly record, "The New Raunchy"/"I'll Get by Somehow" for Decca under the name Shady Wall. (Shady Wall (1922–1985) was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and a banker from West Monroe. It is not known if Pierce knew the political Wall or merely made up the name for the record and was unaware of the actual Shady Wall.)
On February 19, 1957, Pierce resigned from the Opry after he refused to pay commissions on bookings and for associated talent.
Pierce continued charting until 1982 with a total of 96 hits; and he toured extensively and appeared in the movies Buffalo Guns, Music City USA, Second Fiddle To A Steel Guitar, and Road To Nashville.
As his music faded from the spotlight, Pierce became known for his excessive lifestyle. He had North Hollywood tailor Nudie Cohen, who had made flamboyant suits for Pierce, line two convertibles with silver dollars. He built a $30,000 guitar-shaped swimming pool at his Nashville home which became a popular paid tourist attraction—nearly 3,000 people visited it each week—causing his neighbors, led by singer Ray Stevens, to file suit and prevail against Pierce to end the tours.
He remained with Decca and its successor, MCA, well into the 1970s, but by 1977 he was recording for Plantation Records. Even though he had occasional minor hits, charting in a 1982 duet with Willie Nelson, a remake of "In the Jailhouse Now," he spent his final years tending to his businesses, and his legend became clouded due to his reputation as a hard drinker. Webb and daughter Debbie recorded the ballad "On My Way Out" as The Pierces, and she was a member of the Country group "Chantilly" in the early 1980s.
Pierce waged a long battle with pancreatic cancer, which he lost on February 24, 1991, and was buried in the Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville.
Pierce has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1600 Vine Street. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October 2001 and into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2008.
Caught In The Webb–a Tribute to the Legendary Webb Pierce was released on Audium Records in 2001. Produced and arranged by singer-songwriter Gail Davies, this album features Willie Nelson, Crystal Gayle, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, The Del McCoury Band, Charlie Pride, Allison Moorer, Dwight Yoakam, Pam Tillis, The Jordanaires and other great artists. Proceeds go to benefit The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation. Ms. Davies herself first charted in 1978 with "No Love Have I," a No. 26 Billboard Country hit that Pierce had recorded (and taken to No. 4) in 1959.
Footage of Pierce singing "There Stands the Glass" was featured in the 2005 documentary No Direction Home by Martin Scorsese about early influences on Bob Dylan. Pierce's hit single "More and More" was played in the title credits of 2006 horror film, The Hills Have Eyes.
Why Baby Why
Webb Pierce Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby, cry
I can't help but love you 'til the day that I die
But tell me, why baby, why baby, why baby, why
Well I got a crow I wanna pick with you
Just like last time when the feathers flew
You're runnin' wild a-kickin' up your heels
I can't live without you and you know it's true
But there's no livin' with you, so what'll I do
I'm goin' honky tonkin', get as tight as I can
And maybe by then you'll 'preciate a good man
Tell me why baby, why baby, why baby, why
You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby, cry
I can't help but love you 'til the day that I die
So tell me why baby, why baby, why baby, why
Tell me why baby, why baby, why baby, why
You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby, cry
Well, I don't know, but I've heard say
Ev'ry little dog is gonna have his day
You'd better pay attention, don't you dare forget
'Cause you're sincerely not just a little bitty puppy yet
I caught you honky tonkin' with my best friend
What I shoulda done was quit you way back then
Now I'm too old to leave you, but I still get sore
When you come home a-feelin' for the knob on the door
Tell me why baby, why baby, why baby, why
You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby, cry
I can't help but love you 'til the day that I die
So tell me, why baby, why baby, why baby, why
The lyrics of Webb Pierce's song "Why Baby Why" chronicle the struggles of a man who is constantly hurt and betrayed by the woman he loves. The song begins with the lines "Tell me why baby, why baby, why baby, why/ You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby, cry," which immediately evoke a sense of desperation and frustration. The man is at a loss as to why his partner continues to hurt him, but he cannot help but love her despite her flaws. He admits that he cannot live without her, but he also cannot live with her. He decides to go out to a honky-tonk to escape his problems, hoping that maybe she will appreciate him more as a result.
In the second verse, the man says that he has a "crow" to pick with her, just like the last time when they had a fight. She is running wild, spending his money and leaving him with nothing. The man is torn between his love for her and his frustration with her behavior. He wants to be a good partner to her, but he feels that she does not appreciate him. The third verse talks about the man catching his partner "honky tonkin'" with his best friend, which is the final betrayal that pushes him over the edge. He admits that he is too old to leave her, but he still feels pain and anger when she returns home.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me why baby, why baby, why baby, why
The singer wants to know the reason behind the actions of his lover that are causing him to feel hurt and upset.
You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby, cry
The singer's lover is causing him to feel emotional pain, which is manifested in his tears.
I can't help but love you 'til the day that I die
The singer's feelings for his lover are so strong that he will continue to love her, even if it leads to his death.
But tell me, why baby, why baby, why baby, why
The artist is still waiting for an explanation from his lover for her hurtful actions.
Well I got a crow I wanna pick with you
The artist has a disagreement that he wants to discuss with his lover.
Just like last time when the feathers flew
The singer and his lover had a previous argument, which resulted in a heated exchange.
You're runnin' wild a-kickin' up your heels
The singer's lover is acting recklessly and irresponsibly.
A-leavin' me home with a hand full of bills
The artist's lover is neglecting her financial responsibilities and leaving him to deal with the consequences.
I can't live without you and you know it's true
The artist is deeply dependent on his lover and he acknowledges this fact.
But there's no livin' with you, so what'll I do
Although the artist cannot live without his lover, he is also unable to tolerate her behavior.
I'm goin' honky tonkin', get as tight as I can
The singer is going out to party, drink and forget his problems.
And maybe by then you'll 'preciate a good man
The artist hopes that his lover will realize his worth and appreciate him more when he is absent.
Well, I don't know, but I've heard say
The singer is uncertain about what the future holds, but has heard rumors.
Ev'ry little dog is gonna have his day
The singer believes that everyone will have their moment of triumph or revenge.
You'd better pay attention, don't you dare forget
The singer is warning his lover to be mindful of her actions and not forget his worth.
'Cause you're sincerely not just a little bitty puppy yet
The artist is reminding his lover that she is not naive or innocent, but responsible for her actions and their consequences.
I caught you honky tonkin' with my best friend
The artist's lover has been unfaithful with his best friend.
What I shoulda done was quit you way back then
The singer realizes that he should have ended the relationship when he first discovered his lover's infidelity.
Now I'm too old to leave you, but I still get sore
The singer feels trapped in the relationship and unable to leave, despite his anger and pain.
When you come home a-feelin' for the knob on the door
The artist's lover is returning home, but he is not eager to see her or welcome her back.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DARRELL EDWARDS, GEORGE JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind