Rockabilly

One of the classic songs from this first era of rock and roll (not to mention rockabilly) is “Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins. Do anything you to, baby, but don’t step on my blue suede shoes? Well, guess a man has his priorities. Carl Perkins wrote and released the song in the beginning of 1956. It went to #1 on the Country and Western Chart, #2 on both the R&B and Billboard Juke Box Charts, #3 on the Best Seller Chart, and #4 on the Top 100 Chart. It earned him an RIAA gold record. “Blue Suede Shoes” was the first million-selling country song to cross over to both the R&B and Pop Charts. There have been many covers, including those by Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley and His Comets, and The Beatles. Perkins had recorded the song for Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis. Perkins was driving to make his first national appearance on TV, which was to promote it on The Perry Como Show,  when he and his band got into a terrible auto accident. Perkins was was seriously injured. His brother and the driver of the truck were killed. Perkins could not tour for a while, for physical and emotional reasons, and Elvis Presley’s cover became a hit as well in 1956, going to #20 on the Billboard Pop chart.

Here are the lyrics:

“Well it’s one for the money, two for the show
Three to get ready, now go cat go
But don’t you, step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

You can knock me down, step in my face
Slander my name all over the place
And do anything that you want to do
But uh uh honey lay off of my shoes
And don’t you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Oh let’s go cats!

You can burn my house, steal my car
Drink my liquor from an old fruit jar
Do anything that you want to do
But uh uh honey lay off of them shoes
And don’t you, step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Rock!

Well it’s one for the money, two for the show
Three to get ready, now go cat go
But don’t you, step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Well it’s blue, blue, blue suede shoes
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes yeah!
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes baby
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes”

Carl Perkins, the “King of Rockabilly,” was from Tiptonville, Tennessee, the son of sharecroppers. His music combines the gospel, blues, country, and pop music he heard growing up.

For More Golden Oldies Music

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop, rock and roll, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

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