During 1960, Horton had two other successes with "North to Alaska" for John Wayne's movie, North to Alaska, and "Sink the Bismarck". Horton is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Johnny Horton had several top ten songs in the late 50's and early 60's and was on the verge of becoming one of the top stars of the 60's when he met with tragedy.
He was born John Gale Horton in Los Angeles in 1925. He was raised in Tyler, Texas. Horton worked in the fishing industry in Alaska and California, and attended Seattle University. He worked for a while as a carpenter, and played basketball at Baylor University. He worked at a local radio station in East Texas and at the Hometown Jamboree in California. He did some recording with little success for the Abbott, Mercury, and Dot labels and picked up the nickname the Singing Fisherman. Horton became a regular on the Louisiana Hayride.
Johnny married Billie Jean Jones, the widow of country music legend Hank Williams. He sang country songs and signed a recording contract with Columbia, where he would achieve his greatest success. Some of his first hits included Honky Tonk Man, I'm A One-Woman Man in 1956, Coming Home in 1957 and All Grown Up in 1958. He topped the country charts in 1959 with When It's Springtime In Alaska.
Johnny Horton then began to record a series of saga songs that crossed over to the pop charts. He covered Jimmy Driftwood's The Battle Of New Orleans in 1959. The song topped the country charts and it reached number one on the pop charts, where it remained for a solid six weeks. The song was a tribute to the final battle of the War of 1812. He also recorded Sink The Bismarck in 1960, a song that was suggested by the film of the same title; it went top ten country and pop. Johnny Horton was a star. He sang the title song for the John Wayne movie North To Alaska and it too made the top ten in both charts during the same year.
On November 5, 1960, while North To Alaska was still climbing the charts, Horton was killed in an automobile accident in Milano, Texas following an appearance at the Skyline Club in Austin. He is buried in Hillcrest Cemetary in Haughton, LA.
Following Horton's death some of his earlier hit songs made the charts once again. Albums of his recordings were compiled and issued in the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's, and they are still selling.
His biography was published in 1983 under the title Your Singing Fisherman.
My Bucket's Got a Hole in It
Johnny Horton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To take to Cajulina so we could have some fun.
On the way back, I knocked a hole in my bow.
I got a hole in my pirogue, I can't go see my gal.
The purtiest sight that you ever have seen
Is a moonlight night down in New Orleans.
I'm up the river, just around the bend.
Well Catelina's waitin' with tears in her eyes.
Munchin' and a crunchin' on a crawfish pie.
I smell a feeling floatin' through the air
I got a hole in my pirogue, I can't go see my Cher.
Yeah I'm here on the bayou, sittin' all alone
With a busted bottom and I cain't pole it home.
Cajulina's waitin' lonesome as can be.
I got a hole in my pirogue, I cain't go see my she.
The song "I Got a Hole In My Pirogue" by Johnny Horton is a story about a man who goes fishing and ends up with a hole in his boat. He had planned on using his catch to have a good time with his girlfriend, Cajulina, in New Orleans but now he cannot go due to the hole. The lyrics describe the beauty of a moonlit night in New Orleans and the longing in the man's heart to be with his girlfriend. The song captures the romanticized view of the bayou and the troubled love story of the singer.
The song begins by setting the scene of a man who goes fishing to make some money and have a good time with his girlfriend in New Orleans. However, on his way back, he knocks a hole in his boat preventing him from taking the trip to see his girlfriend. The setting of the song focuses on the bayou in New Orleans, a place known for its beauty and romance. Through the lyrics of the song, it's evident that the man is heartbroken due to the hole in his boat, which prevents him from seeing his Cher.
The second part of the song describes the man's current situation where he finds himself alone in the bayou with a broken boat. Cajulina is also waiting for him in New Orleans, equally heartbroken. The lyrics represent the man's inner feeling of helplessness and regret at not being able to fulfill his promise to his girlfriend. The song is a tragic love story that paints a picture of the beauty in the bayou, the despair of a broken dream, and the longing to be with someone loved.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I went out a fishin' to make a little mon.
I went fishing to earn some money.
To take to Cajulina so we could have some fun.
I planned to take the money to my beloved Cajulina to have fun together.
On the way back, I knocked a hole in my bow.
While returning, I made a hole in the front of my boat.
I got a hole in my pirogue, I can't go see my gal.
Now, I can't go to see Cajulina because my boat is damaged.
The purtiest sight that you ever have seen
The most beautiful scene one can witness.
Is a moonlight night down in New Orleans.
It's an amazing sight to see the moonlit night in New Orleans.
I'm up the river, just around the bend.
I'm on the river, close by but still far enough from Cajulina.
I got a hole in my pirogue, I just cain't hold it in.
I can't hide the fact that my boat is damaged.
Well Catelina's waitin' with tears in her eyes.
Cajulina is waiting for me with tears in her eyes.
Munchin' and a crunchin' on a crawfish pie.
Cajulina is having crawfish pie while waiting for me.
I smell a feeling floatin' through the air
I sense that something good is happening.
I got a hole in my pirogue, I can't go see my Cher.
But because of my damaged boat, I still can't see my beloved Cajulina.
Yeah I'm here on the bayou, sittin' all alone
I'm alone on the bayou.
With a busted bottom and I cain't pole it home.
My boat's bottom is broken, and I can't row it home.
Cajulina's waitin' lonesome as can be.
Cajulina is waiting alone, feeling very lonely.
I got a hole in my pirogue, I cain't go see my she.
Again, I can't go to see Cajulina because of my damaged boat.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHNNY HORTON, TILLMAN FRANKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sanguis
on I Hate Niggers
John Gale "Johnny" Horton did NOT write or sing the song "I Hate Niggers". That song was by Johnny Rebel and not written or released for some years after Johnny Horton died.