One of the greats of country music, he had a personal life that can only be called “colorful”. Although train wreck could be used by the judgmental types.

It’s a miracle that he lived as long as he did, unlike so many others who died much to young. He lived a full life and provided us with a lot of great music over the years.

It’s fitting that this was one of his biggest hits.

Written by Shel Siverstein, performed by Bobby Bare.

The hulk of a man with a beer in his hand he looked like a drunk old fool
And I knew if I hit him right why I could knock him off of that stool
But everybody they said watch out hey that’s the Tiger Man McCool
He’s had the whole lotta fights and he’s always come out winner
yeah he’s a winner

But I had myself about five too many and I walked up tall and proud
I faced his back and I faced the fact that he had never stooped or bowed
I said Tiger Man you’re a pussycat and a hush fell on the crowd
I said let’s you and me go outside and see who’s the winner

Well he gripped the bar with one big hairy hand then he braced against the wall
He slowly looked up from his beer my God that man was tall
He said boy I see you’re a scrapper so just before you fall
I’m gonna tell you just a little bout what it means to be a winner

He said now you see these bright white smilin’ teeth you know they ain’t my own
Mine rolled away like Chicklets down the street in San Antone
But I left that person cursin’ nursin’ seven broken bones
And he only broke ah three of mine that makes me the winner

He said now behind this grin I got a steel pin that holds my jaw in place
A trophy of my most successful motorcycle race
And each morning when I wake and touch this scar across my face
It reminds me of all I got by bein’ a winner

Now this broken back was the dyin’ act of a handsome Harry Clay
That sticky Cincinnati night I stole his wife away
But that woman she gets uglier and she gets meaner every day
But I got her boy that’s what makes me a winner

He said you gotta speak loud when you challenge me son cause it’s hard for me to hear
With this twisted neck and these migraine pains and this big ole cauliflower ear
And if it wasn’t for this glass eye of mine why I’d she’d a happy tear
To think of all that you gonna get by bein’ a winner

I got arthritic elbows boy I got dislocated knees
From pickin’ fights with thunderstorms and chargin’ into trees
And my nose been broke so often I might lose if I sneeze
And son you say you still wanna be a winner

Now you remind me a lotta my younger days with your knuckles a clenchin’ white
But boy I’m gonna sit right here and sip this beer all night
And if there’s somethin’ that you gotta gain to prove by winnin’ some silly fight
Well okay I quit I lose you’re the winner

So I stumbled from that barroom not so tall and not so proud
And behind me I still hear the hoots of laughter of the crowd
But my eyes still see and my nose still works and my teeth’re still in my mouth
And you know I guess that makes me the winner

Written by Gordon Lightfoot, first released by Marty Robbins in 1965.

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Connie Smith also had a hit with it in 1969.

It’s been covered by others over the years, including ironically Gordon Lightfoot.

Two versions of the same song.

First up is Kitty Wells’ version

Next a cover by Ray Charles from Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Volume 2.

Marty Robbins is well known as a Country Western singer and for a time specialized in the sub genre of “Cowboy” music. He had a number of big hits with Cowboy songs, most notably “El Paso” which topped the  Billboard Country and Pop charts simultaneously 1960 and won a Grammy Award. It is by far Robbin’s best known song. For some people it’s Robbin’s only known song, but that’s a different story.

What most people don’t know is that “El Paso wasn’t his first #1 song on the Country Charts. In fact, it was his sixth #1 song on the Billboard Country Charts. The big difference with “El Paso” was that it was a cross over hit.

Robbins wasn’t just a country singer, and early on it wasn’t what he was best known for. He was a versatile singer who could and did have hits with Blues, Rock and Roll, Country, Cowboy, and Hawaiian music. For some reason though, he was pigeon holed as a “country” singer.

In 1957 “A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation” went to #1 on the country charts and #2 on the pop charts. It doesn’t get much air play these days, but it was 55 years ago this week that it topped the country charts, so I thought I’d post if for your listening pleasure.

For those of you old enough to remember Mitch Miller, the song was recorded at his studio in New York City in early 1957. If you listen carefully to the back up singers, the style might sound familiar.

Willie Nelson is one of my favorite song writers, although he’s not one of my favorite singers. Back when his voice was at it’s prime, it was pretty good. Not terrific like people such as Johnny Bush, Ray Price, or Eddy Arnold, but certainly not stick your fingers in your ears bad. Enjoyable in fact. The only time that I heard Willie Nelson in person, he was well past his prime, although some of that was the venue. Still, I’ve always thought that he was a better lyricist than singer.

Many of his big hits weren’t big hits by him, they were covers by other artists of songs that he wrote. Patsy Cline had a huge hit with “Crazy”, which was written by a then little known Willie Nelson, but rearranged by her producer. Nightlife has been covered by just about everyone from Ray Price to Leon Russell and it’s great song. By the way, this site notes that Nightlife was sold by Willie for $200.00, although he bought back 1/3 of the rights later on. Faron Young had a #1 Country hit with “Hello Walls”. I could go on, but I think you get the point.

Ironically, two of his biggest early hits were songs that he didn’t write. Go figure, right?

Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain, written in 1945 by Fred Rose for Roy Acuff. Nelson released it on his 1975 album “Red Headed Stranger”.  It charted at #1 on Billboards Hot Country chart in 1975.

You Were Always On My Mind, written by Johnny Christopher, Mark James, and Wayne Carson, and recorded by too many people to list, including Elvis Presley and of course Willie Nelson. For whom it charted at #1 once again on the Billboard Hot Country chart.

Finally a song both written and performed by Willie Nelson. Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground, was a 1981 #1 single on Billboards Hot Country chart.

In case you’re curious, he’s had 14 #1 singles to date.

The Voice

Originally written for the 1939 Gene Autry movie of the same name. The plot revolutionaries, cattle, enemy agents, doesn’t stand the test of time all that well, but the song does.

Here is the original, sung by Autry in the movie,

Here is a version by Patsy Cline, just because I don’t think she was capable of doing any song poorly. Some were terrific, the rest merely great.

Here is a version by Slim Whitman, who no one plays any more and is mostly remembered as a punch line for jokes by late night comedians. More the pity because he’s still alive and performs on occasion.