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GEERHART'S PERIODIC TABLE OF ATOMIC MUSIC  RANDOM PLATTER: Atomic Telephone This gospel number repeats the theme of the divine-atomic nexus and uses the specially powered telephone of the title as its symbolic teaching aid... |
EMAIL THIS PAGE PRINT THIS PAGE CATEGORY: SONGS: ATOMIC
Atom Bomb: Glenn Barber [Recorded 1955]
A rollicking rockabilly record that tells the frantic story of a hillbilly's cartoonish efforts to escape the Bomb by running to the mountains. This track is notable for echoing the popular sentiment of the time that if one could simply move far enough away from an urban center one could ride out World War III with nary a scratch.
Note: The extremely rare 1953 atomic comedy 'Run For The Hills' starring Sonny Tufts and Barbara Payton essentially dramatizes this 'abandon the city' approach to civil defense and plays it for laughs.
Singer-songwriter, musician, painter and carpenter, Martin Glenn Barber was born in 1935 in Hollis, Oklahoma, but was raised in Pasadena, Texas where by age six he had learned how to play guitar and had started listening to country music. In subsequent years Barber, a veritable one-man-band, would also master the banjo, mandolin, steel guitar, dobro, bass and drums. In high school the budding artist had a band and won many local talent contests. At age sixteen Barber cut his first single, Ring Around The Moon for 'Pappy' Daily's Stampede label. Daily also served as the singer's manager for ten years. In 1958 Barber recorded Hello Sadness/Same Old Fool Tomorrow. Starting in 1962, in addition to his music career, Barber was a DJ on KIKK in Houston where he spun discs until 1968. He also had a regular show on the station with his band, The Western Swingmasters.
In 1964 Barber had his first charting song, How Can I Forget You on the Sims label which made the Top 50. He then managed to get a contract with Starday where both sides of his first single, If Anyone Can Show Cause/Stronger Than Dirt, made the Top 30. Barber remained with the label until 1966. Two years later Barber had signed with Hickory where he remained until 1974. His notable songs from this period were Kissed By The Rain, Warmed By The Sun, She Cheats On Me, I'm The Man On Susie's Mind and Unexpected Goodbye. Barber later recorded for Century 21 where he scored the Top 30 country hits What's The Name Of That Song and Love Songs Just For You. He closed the decade on MMI with his cut Everybody Wants To Disco.
Barber's musical output since the '70s has been sporadic. He has divided his time between portrait and mural painting, carpentry, screenwriting and, of course, occasional recording activity.
LYRICS/TRANSCRIPTION:
Atom Bomb: Glenn Barber [Recorded 1955]
Refrain: They're buildin' an atom bomb
Gonna blow me out of this place
They're buildin' a bigger bomb
What a crazy human race
Let ‘em kill us all and we'll stand and watch
Well, brother that ain't for me
I'll be runnin'; and a-jumpin and a-skippin' and a-bumpin'
When they blow me to smithereens
Now, I'm not a man that's a-scared of things
Least things I knows about
But when my tater patch left the ground
I started right then gettin' out
I figured it was time for all good men
To rise up and really shine
And I'll bet you anyone who saw me leave
Gonna say I sure did fine
They're buildin' an atom bomb
Gonna really cook our goose
They're buildin', a bigger bomb
Done turn the little one loose
I'll never get out of this world alive
But brother I can plain sure try
I'll be runnin'; and a-jumpin and a-skippin' and a-bumpin'
When the first big smoke goes by
Now, fellers, I fought in World War I
And that was quite a brawl
And old number 2 that was really bad
‘Cause that we all recall
I'm wishin' for a way to the moon and soon
‘Fore this next one starts
I want to get up there all in one piece
And not just part-by-part
Refrain
Now the place for me is up in them hills
In a cave way back in the rocks
When that thing goes off I'll get the char,
But none of the real bad shocks
With a trusty gun and a can of beans
And an old hound dog or two
If there's anybody left it's gonna be me
When all of this mess is through
They're buildin' an atom bomb
Gonna really cook our goose
They're buildin' a bigger bomb
Done turn the little one loose
I'll never get out of this world alive
But brother I can plain sure try
I'll be runnin'; and a-jumpin and a-skippin' and a-bumpin'
When the first big smoke goes by
Now you think I'm lying but it ain't no joke
‘Cause I used to live real close
A flash of light made in the dead of night
Nearly scared me out of my clothes
My old hound dog went raving mad
And was deaf for a week or two
When we quit runnin' he was pret' near dead
But we figured that was the thing to do
Refrain
Yeah! No! Did you ever of such a noise? Yeah…
Atom Bomb: Glenn Barber [Recorded 1955]
Refrain: They're buildin' an atom bomb
Gonna blow me out of this place
They're buildin' a bigger bomb
What a crazy human race
Let ‘em kill us all and we'll stand and watch
Well, brother that ain't for me
I'll be runnin'; and a-jumpin and a-skippin' and a-bumpin'
When they blow me to smithereens
Now, I'm not a man that's a-scared of things
Least things I knows about
But when my tater patch left the ground
I started right then gettin' out
I figured it was time for all good men
To rise up and really shine
And I'll bet you anyone who saw me leave
Gonna say I sure did fine
They're buildin' an atom bomb
Gonna really cook our goose
They're buildin', a bigger bomb
Done turn the little one loose
I'll never get out of this world alive
But brother I can plain sure try
I'll be runnin'; and a-jumpin and a-skippin' and a-bumpin'
When the first big smoke goes by
Now, fellers, I fought in World War I
And that was quite a brawl
And old number 2 that was really bad
‘Cause that we all recall
I'm wishin' for a way to the moon and soon
‘Fore this next one starts
I want to get up there all in one piece
And not just part-by-part
Refrain
Now the place for me is up in them hills
In a cave way back in the rocks
When that thing goes off I'll get the char,
But none of the real bad shocks
With a trusty gun and a can of beans
And an old hound dog or two
If there's anybody left it's gonna be me
When all of this mess is through
They're buildin' an atom bomb
Gonna really cook our goose
They're buildin' a bigger bomb
Done turn the little one loose
I'll never get out of this world alive
But brother I can plain sure try
I'll be runnin'; and a-jumpin and a-skippin' and a-bumpin'
When the first big smoke goes by
Now you think I'm lying but it ain't no joke
‘Cause I used to live real close
A flash of light made in the dead of night
Nearly scared me out of my clothes
My old hound dog went raving mad
And was deaf for a week or two
When we quit runnin' he was pret' near dead
But we figured that was the thing to do
Refrain
Yeah! No! Did you ever of such a noise? Yeah…
Glenn Barber [Recorded 1955]
Atom Bomb
(-)
unissued
Atom Bomb
(-)
unissued
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TECHNORATI TAGS:COLD WAR CULTURE
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