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Hey Joe!
View on Wikipedia| "Hey Joe" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Carl Smith | ||||
| B-side | "Darlin' Am I The One" | |||
| Published | July 17, 1953 | |||
| Released | May 19, 1953 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:28 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter | Boudleaux Bryant | |||
| Carl Smith singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Hey Joe!" is a 1953 popular song written by Boudleaux Bryant. It was recorded by Carl Smith for Columbia Records on 19 May 1953 and spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the US country music chart,[1] marking Bryant's first no. 1 record. He later wrote songs with his wife Felice for The Everly Brothers.[2] The song was first published in New York on July 17, 1953, as "Hey, Joe".[3]
A contemporary cover version by Frankie Laine was a hit on the Billboard chart, and also reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart.[2][4] Later that year, Kitty Wells recorded an answer record, also titled "Hey Joe", which hit No. 8 on the Jukebox Country & Western chart.[5]
Frankie Laine recording
[edit]| "Hey Joe!" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Frankie Laine with Paul Weston and his Orchestra and The Norman Luboff Choir Carl Fischer-Piano | |
| B-side | "Sittin' In The Sun (Countin' My Money)" |
| Published | July 17, 1953 |
| Released | July 6, 1953 |
| Recorded | June 22, 1953 |
| Studio | Radio Recorders (Hollywood, California) |
| Genre | Country, traditional pop |
| Length | 2:18 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Songwriter | Boudleaux Bryant |
| Producer | Mitch Miller |
A pop cover of "Hey Joe!" was made by Frankie Laine on June 22, 1953, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, with Paul Weston and his Orchestra and the Norman Luboff Choir, also featuring Carl Fischer on piano.[6][7][8] Produced by Mitch Miller, the single was released by Columbia (the same label who issued the Carl Smith version) on July 6. It was featured in Billboard's New Records To Watch, with the magazine commenting, "It's a good tune for Laine, and he handles it in his customary exciting style."[9] Laine's "Hey Joe!" entered Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart on August 22, where it peaked at No. 6.[4][10]
In the UK, Laine's recording was an even bigger success. Released by Philips in August 1953, it entered the New Musical Express singles chart on October 16, 1953.[11][12] "Hey Joe!" reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart the following week, October 23.[2] It was Laine's second UK chart topper, but unlike his record-breaking hit "I Believe", "Hey Joe!" only stayed on the chart for eight weeks, including two at No. 1. On October 23, Laine had three singles in the chart, which at that time consisted of only twelve positions. The following week, Laine's third No. 1 hit in the UK, "Answer Me", entered the chart, giving him a third of all the records on the listing.[2]
Other contemporary recordings
[edit]The version by Carl Smith charted at No. 1 on the US country chart, but did not appear on the overall Best Selling Singles listing.[13] Similarly, another country recording, by Kitty Wells, only made the country chart, peaking at No. 8.[14]
In the UK's sheet music sales chart, "Hey Joe" first made the top 20 on October 3, 1953, and peaked at No. 14 in a nine-week run. Aside from the popular version by Frankie Laine, just two other contemporary cover recordings were available in the UK, by British singers Ronnie Meede (released on Decca in September) and Frankie Vaughan (issued by His Master's Voice in October).[15]
Later recordings
[edit]- Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley recorded a new version of the song with the modified title "Hey Joe, Hey Moe", with lyrics specially rewritten for the project by Boudleaux Bryant, as the title song to a duet album issued in 1981. The song, released as the lead single to the album, was a top 10 country hit that year.[16]
- On the Statler Brothers' unusual comic album Alive At The Johnny Mack Brown High School, released in 1974 under their alias Lester "Roadhog" Moran & The Cadillac Cowboys, the first song after the band's theme song is "Hey Joe".[17]
References
[edit]- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 318.
- ^ a b c d Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 8. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
- ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. 1953.
- ^ a b "Hey Joe! (song by Frankie Laine) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". MusicVF.com. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 376.
- ^ Rogers, John. "h". Popular recordings from 1st August 1942. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1953-08-08. p. 21.
- ^ Praguefrank (2016-12-18). "Praguefrank's Country Discography 2: Frankie Laine, part 1". Praguefrank's Country Discography 2. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1953-07-18. p. 38.
- ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1953-09-26. p. 38.
- ^ Henson, Brian (1989). First hits, 1946-1959. Colin Morgan. London: Boxtree. ISBN 1-85283-268-1. OCLC 19389211.
- ^ British hit singles : Guinness world records (16th ed.). London: Gullane. 2003. ISBN 0-85112-190-X. OCLC 51779766.
- ^ "Hey Joe! (song by Carl Smith) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". MusicVF.com. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ "Hey Joe (song by Kitty Wells) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". MusicVF.com. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ Henson, Brian (1989). First hits, 1946-1959. Colin Morgan. London: Boxtree. ISBN 1-85283-268-1. OCLC 19389211.
- ^ "Hey Joe (Hey Moe) (song by Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". MusicVF.com. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ Lester Roadhog Moran Vinyl Album Song Listing from Discogs.com
Hey Joe!
View on GrokipediaSong Origins
Authorship and Composition
"Hey Joe" is credited to Billy Roberts as its primary author, a folk musician active in the Pacific Northwest during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Roberts, who performed regularly in Seattle-area clubs such as those on the local folk scene, is said to have composed and debuted the song around 1955–1960, drawing from traditional folk influences like the murder ballad "Little Sadie." He registered the copyright for "Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)" with the U.S. Library of Congress in 1962, which included the first known lead sheet publication of the composition.[5][6][7] The song began circulating in American folk circles shortly after Roberts' performances, gaining traction among West Coast musicians through informal sharing before its commercial breakthrough. By the early 1960s, it had spread via the Greenwich Village folk scene, where Roberts busked and recorded a home demo around 1961–1962. This timeline marks its emergence as a modern folk composition, distinct from older precursors, with Roberts' 1962 registration solidifying his legal claim.[1][5] Authorship disputes arose in the 1960s when Dino Valenti, leader of Quicksilver Messenger Service, claimed co-authorship and registered a version in 1963, asserting Roberts had transferred publishing rights to fund his legal defense. Valenti's publisher, Third Story Music, initially received royalties from early recordings, leading to prolonged conflicts over ownership. Folk singer Tim Rose also asserted that the song was a traditional blues number, though no pre-1962 recordings support this or other alternative origins beyond Roberts' version. These disputes were resolved with Roberts recognized as the primary composer, retaining the majority of royalties, though arrangements with Valenti's publisher involved sharing some publishing income, ensuring Roberts' enduring recognition as the song's originator.[6][8][5][1]Influences and Early Versions
The song "Hey Joe" draws from a lineage of American folk traditions, particularly murder ballads that narrate tales of jealousy, violence, and flight. Its melody closely resembles that of the traditional fiddle tune underlying "Little Sadie," a 1920s murder ballad recounting a man's killing of his lover and subsequent escape, which has been documented in various folk recordings since the early 20th century.[9][10] Scholars have noted structural parallels in the narrative arc of confrontation, homicide, and evasion, positioning "Hey Joe" within this broader folk canon.[11] Further influences appear in blues standards like "Stagger Lee," a 19th-century-derived ballad about a fatal barroom shooting over a personal slight, which shares thematic elements of impulsive male violence and its consequences, though "Hey Joe" adapts these into a more linear dialogue format.[12] The song also echoes the title and lighthearted country vibe of Carl Smith's 1953 hit "Hey Joe!," a chart-topping track written by Boudleaux Bryant that playfully questions a friend's new romantic interest, but diverges sharply in lyrics and tone from the later rock standard's darker themes.[13][14] A direct precursor is Niela Miller's "Baby, Please Don't Go to Town," composed around 1955 during her relationship with Billy Roberts, which features a similar melody and theme of departure but from a female perspective on urban disillusionment.[15] Roberts adapted and rewrote it into the male-centered murder narrative of "Hey Joe," copyrighting his version in 1962 as the standardized composition.[6] Roberts performed "Hey Joe" live in Washington state's burgeoning folk scenes during the late 1950s, including club appearances amid the doo-wop and folk revival.[16] The song circulated orally among West Coast musicians before 1962, with Roberts sharing it during travels and swaps in San Francisco and beyond, fostering its adaptation in informal settings like Paris gigs in 1960.[6][17] No verified commercial recordings of "Hey Joe" exist prior to 1965, though it appeared in early 1960s folk anthologies and circulated via bootleg tapes, including a circa-1961 demo by Roberts featuring the song amid traditional folk material.[6][15]Lyrics and Interpretation
Structure and Content
"Hey Joe" employs a straightforward verse-chorus structure, comprising verses that advance the narrative interspersed with a recurring chorus. This format builds a dialogic narrative through call-and-response elements, where questions prompt Joe's responses. The song is in the key of E major in the Jimi Hendrix version, with earlier folk versions often transcribed in E or A major, utilizing a blues-derived chord progression of I-VII-IV, such as E-D-A.[18][19] Musically, the piece is in 4/4 time, providing a steady, driving rhythm suitable for both acoustic folk and electric rock arrangements. This consistency underscores the song's adaptability across genres while preserving its core bluesy inflection. The lyrics trace a linear narrative arc: Joe is questioned about his intentions upon encountering him armed, he confesses to discovering his wife's infidelity and his plan to kill her, the act is confirmed after the fact with his admission, and he announces his flight to Mexico to evade capture. Early lyric sheets exhibit minor variations between folk and rock iterations, such as "gun in my hand" in predominant versions versus "rifle in my hand" in select transcriptions, reflecting oral transmission in pre-recorded performances. The full standard lyrics, as copyrighted by Billy Roberts in 1962 and popularized in the Jimi Hendrix recording, are as follows: Verse 1Hey Joe, where you goin' with that gun in your hand?
Hey Joe, I said, where you goin' with that gun in your hand?
I'm goin' down to shoot my old lady
You know I caught her messin' 'round with another man.
I'm goin' down to shoot my old lady
You know I caught her messin' 'round with another man.
And that ain't too cool.[20] Chorus
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your woman down, you shot her down to the ground.
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your old lady down, you shot her down to the ground.
Yes, I did, I shot her, you know I shot her down to the ground.
Yes, I did, I shot her, you know I shot her down to the ground.[20] Verse 2
Hey Joe, said now, where you gonna run to now? Where you gonna go?
Hey Joe, I said, where you gonna run to now? Where you gonna go?
I'm goin' way down south, way down to Mexico way.
I'm gonna run, run, run, you know I'll run, I just can't stay.
Ain't no hangman gonna put a rope around me.
You know I just can't let her go.[20] These lyrics encapsulate central motifs of infidelity and violence, driving the song's dramatic tension through Joe's escalating predicament.[21]
