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.
Young Abe Lincoln
Johnny Horton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well he lived in a cabin way down by the creek
He ran through the dust in his bare feet
But they didn't know that one fine day
That he would rule this U.S.A.
And be the best leader in all the land
Yes Young Abe Lincoln make a tall tall man
He walked many miles to school every day
And no kind of weather could keep him away
A learnin' to read and a learnin' to write
He whipped many men in a wrestlin' fight
He whipped many of ‘em with just one hand
Yes Young Abe Lincoln make a tall tall man
Yes Young Abe Lincoln make a tall tall man
Now he was admitted to the lawyer's bar
People seeked his help from near and far
Ha could talk a country mile in an old court room
Make a man laugh whose life was doomed
He out talked Douglas or fancy Dan
Yes Young Abe Lincoln make a tall tall man
Yes Young Abe Lincoln make a tall tall man
We had a big war while he was President
Finally won with the U.S. Grant
He heard both sides of the battle of rights
He hated to see those soldiers die
He hated to fight his own south land
Yes Young Abe Lincoln made a tall tall man
Yes Young Abe Lincoln made a tall tall man
The song "Young Abe Lincoln" by Johnny Horton is a tribute to one of the most celebrated presidents of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln. In the opening lines of the song, Horton paints a picture of Lincoln's humble beginnings as he lived in a cabin by the creek and ran through the dust in his bare feet. Despite his modest upbringing, Lincoln's destiny was to become the leader of the United States of America, and to be recognized as the best leader in all the land.
The lyrics then transition to Lincoln's education and how he committed himself to learning. He walked for miles to school every day, regardless of the weather, and became an excellent reader and writer, as well as a formidable wrestler. The song then shifts gears to Lincoln's legal career, where he became an accomplished lawyer, able to talk a country mile in an old courtroom, and he helped people from near and far. The song ends with a tribute to Lincoln's presidency, mentioning his role in the American Civil War, where he hated to see soldiers on both sides die and how he finally won with the help of U.S. Grant.
Overall, "Young Abe Lincoln" highlights the many attributes and accomplishments that made Abraham Lincoln one of the greatest presidents in American history. It reminds us that despite his humble beginnings, he rose to become a leader, inspiring generations with his honesty, integrity, intelligence, and strength.
Line by Line Meaning
Well he lived in a cabin way down by the creek
Abraham Lincoln lived in a small cabin near a creek.
He ran through the dust in his bare feet
Lincoln did not have shoes and ran in the dusty ground with bare feet.
But they didn't know that one fine day That he would rule this U.S.A.
No one knew that one day Lincoln would become the leader of the United States.
And be the best leader in all the land
Lincoln would be remembered as one of the greatest leaders in America's history.
Yes Young Abe Lincoln make a tall tall man
Lincoln was tall and it was a trait that people associated with his greatness.
He walked many miles to school every day
Lincoln had to walk long distances to go to school.
And no kind of weather could keep him away
Despite harsh weather conditions, Lincoln was still dedicated to going to school.
A learnin' to read and a learnin' to write
Lincoln was committed to learning how to read and write.
He whipped many men in a wrestlin' fight
Lincoln was physically strong and defeated many men in wrestling contests.
He whipped many of âem with just one hand
Lincoln had so much strength that he could beat his opponents with only one hand.
Now he was admitted to the lawyer's bar
Lincoln became a licensed lawyer.
People seeked his help from near and far
People asked for Lincoln's legal assistance from places both near and far.
Ha could talk a country mile in an old court room
Lincoln was an excellent speaker in courtrooms and could talk for miles.
Make a man laugh whose life was doomed
Lincoln had a good sense of humor and could make someone feel better, even if they were facing a dire situation.
He out talked Douglas or fancy Dan
Lincoln was able to outwit his political opponent Douglas and other eloquent speakers.
We had a big war while he was President
The United States had a major war, the Civil War, during Lincoln's presidency.
Finally won with the U.S. Grant
The Union forces, led by General Ulysses S. Grant, emerged victorious in the Civil War.
He heard both sides of the battle of rights
Lincoln listened to the arguments of both sides regarding the issue of slavery.
He hated to see those soldiers die
Lincoln was deeply saddened by the loss of soldiers' lives during the war.
He hated to fight his own south land
Lincoln struggled with the fact that he had to go to war with the southern states, which he still considered a part of his own country.
Contributed by Jordan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@CSAFD
FUK ADOLF LINCOLN 🖕
Adolf Lincoln
the oval office has been disgraced since ADOLF LINCOLN in 1860
Adolf Lincoln's great legacy includes:
1. Raising taxes before the war that caused the South to pay more than the North.
2. Never freed anyone, particulary a slave.
3. Believed and stated blacks were inferior to whites. The emancipation proclamation was a military draft order for the blacks to help with manpower to win the war.
4. Imprisoned thousands, without charges and without a trial, who disagreed with his policies of invading and subjugating the Southern people.
5. Shut down and destroyed any newspaper that criticized his actions or supported the South in secession.
6. Spent government funds on private ventures, enriching favored people.
7. Arrested delegates in Maryland so they could not vote on secession.
8. Occupied Delaware with the Army so that the state government could not even discuss Southern views.
9. CONGRESS NEVER DECLARED WAR, on April 15, 1861, when Lincoln issued a call for troops to Invaded the South and caused the death of 620,000 Southerners, not to mention his own side.
10. With his war, he single-handedly ended states rights, which empowered the federal government along with the Supreme court to do whatever they wanted. The republic formed by our Constitution came to an end. If you don't believe it, all I have to offer is Obamacare, same-sex marriage, no prayer or Bible reading in public.
11. It was 1861. Lincoln was in a financial bind. Also, he was in a war. To raise money to fight the Confederacy, Lincoln pushed for and won passage of an income tax and, a year or so later, established the Internal Revenue Bureau to collect what was owed. Though Lincoln’s tax was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1895 - the 16th Amendment, passed in 1913, created the income tax we endure today - historians and legal scholars credit the 16th president, a moderate Republican, with laying the foundation for progressive taxation enforced by the tax man.
12. Sieges of Vicksburg, Petersburg, Richmond, Corinth and other confederate cities was exactly what Hitler did in Russia during World War Two (Leningrad, Stalingrad)
13. Anaconda plan of blockade, was a war crime
14. Federal POW camps of Douglas and Elmira killed 30,000 CSA soldiers thru disease and starvation in those two camps and the federal government had daily supplies coming in, while blockading the southern ports which caused the deaths of their own prisoners @ Andersonville where only 12,000 federal soldiers died, but the confederate states are the war criminals.
15. Sherman’s March to sea was exactly what Hitler did in Russia during World War Two.
And then he had the audacity to coin the phrase, "government of the people, by the people and for the people".
Why do we honor this man?
@V1nce_man
uh....
No... that’s not right at all 😅
Lincoln said himself if he didn’t have to free the slaves then he wouldn’t but unfortunately during the war he was getting desperate for leverage in the political against the southern rebels who saw through his ways of putting so many taxes on their imports!
No... he was not a saint....
He was human... like we all are he wasn’t perfect
@alyssachantaychampagne2773
Well he lived in a cabin way down by the creek
He ran through the dust in his bare feet
But they didn't know that one fine day
That he would rule this U.S.A
And be the best leader in all the land
Yes Young Abe Lincoln make a tall tall man
Yes Young Abe Lincoln make a tall tall man
He walked many miles to school every day
And no kind of weather could keep him away
A learnin' to read and a learnin' to write
He whipped many men in a wrestlin' fight
He whipped many of 'em with just one hand
Yes Young Abe Lincoln make a tall tall man
Yes Young Abe Lincoln make a tall tall man
Now he was admitted to the lawyer's bar
People seeked his help from near and far
Ha could talk a country mile in an old court room
Make a man laugh whose life was doomed
He out talked Douglas or fancy Dan
Yes Young Abe Lincoln make a tall tall man
Yes Young Abe Lincoln make a tall tall man
We had a big war while he was President
Finally won with the U.S. Grant
He heard both sides of the battle of rights
He hated to see those soldiers die
He hated to fight his own south land
Yes Young Abe Lincoln made a tall tall man
Yes Young Abe Lincoln made a tall tall man
@TheStapleGunKid
So sad that Johnny Horton died in his 30s. There really was no one else like him. No country singer today sings about history. It's all just about girls or trucks now. If only we could get another country artists to do historical songs like Horton did.
@oldslow3694
marty stuart is old country
@zaynelutz9382
He was 35 years old
@sergigrajera5966
sabaton does sing about history, all history, but its power metal mostly about wars in europe
@SponzyParadox
David Kincaid is more folk but he sings songs FROM history as well as new pieces about it check him out
@bitterivan1938
sabaton but with country music
@Pbirv
Before Sabaton, there was Johnny Horton!
@markzimmerman1899
Gotta be honest, this is a pretty apt comparison.
@aleksavuksanovic3899
Y E S
@VanVeghel
What I wouldn't give for a Sabaton song ft. Johnny Horton (or vice versa).