Download the AOL Radio Toolbar Free
  • AOL
  • Download Radio Toolbar
  • Mail
  • Make AOL My Homepage
  • CELEBRITY NEWS
  • GAMES
  • MOVIES
  • LYRICS
  • MUSIC
  • RADIO
  • TV
  • TMZ
  • BLACK VOICES
  • ASYLUM
Spinner Homepage

Spinner

Web

Images

Video

News

Local

  • More »
    • Jobs
    • Mapquest
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Personals
    • Shopping
    • Travel
    • Yellow Pages
Send Us Feedback

Spinner Exclusives

  • The Interface - Live Performances
  • Listening Parties - New CDS for Free
  • Spinner Radio
  • Listening Parties - New CDS for Free

Features

  • Best Songs of '08
  • PhotoSynthesis With Mary Ellen Matthews
  • Alter Egos
  • Bad Songs by Good Bands
  • Best Band Logos
  • Best Duets
  • Best Opening Lyrics
  • Hooker Songs
  • Killer Songs
  • Outrageous Riders
  • Outrageous Riders, Volume 2
  • Rockin' Gay Moments
  • Sad Songs
  • Songs About Hookers
  • Stage Name Stories
  • Two-Hit Wonders
  • What's That Song
  • Women Behind Songs
  • Worst Band Feuds
  • Worst Duets
  • Worst Lyrics Ever
  • Worst Songs Ever

All Categories

  • 3x3(63)
  • Album(75)
  • Around the World(116)
  • Bad Lyrics(39)
  • Book Club(29)
  • Campaignwatch(47)
  • Canada(57)
  • Celebrity Doppelganger(11)
  • Clash of the Cover Songs(41)
  • Coming Out Stories(20)
  • Concerts and Tours(647)
  • Count Five(53)
  • Country(43)
  • Electronic(238)
  • Exclusive(1380)
  • Free MP3 of the Day(685)
  • Full CD Listening Parties(102)
  • Grammy Awards(42)
  • Guest Blogger(19)
  • Holy Hell(409)
  • I Fought the Law(10)
  • I Freakin' Love This Song(226)
  • Jazz(20)
  • Laugh, Rage, Cry(6)
  • Movies(46)
  • Music Appreciation(20)
  • New Music(127)
  • News(2368)
  • News Today, Oh Boy!(420)
  • OurStage(24)
  • PhotoSynthesis(85)
  • Politics as Usual(3)
  • Pop Culture(33)
  • Potent Quotables(465)
  • R.I.P.(91)
  • Rock Almanac(366)
  • Rock Hall(25)
  • RPM(20)
  • Schwag Hag(28)
  • Sessions(4)
  • Songs(178)
  • Spinner Interview(77)
  • Television(31)
  • The Chum Bucket(462)
  • The Crap Stack(16)
  • The DL(494)
  • The Hit List(1056)
  • Total Dick Move(1)
  • TV(0)
  • Twisted Tales(96)
  • U.K.(16)
  • Video(726)
  • Video of the Day(555)
  • Wacked News(184)
  • What's That Song?(68)

HotStories

Zooey Deschanel Revels in Her '70s Roots

We don't want to give too much away, but one of the true highlights of ...

  • Canada
  • Poland
  • Spain

Our Widgets

MP3 of the Day

Get it on your iPhone

Add MP3 of the Day to Facebook

Add Spinner to iGoogle

Download the Spinner Toolbar

Get the AOL Radio Widget

Best Opening Lyrics: No. 8

"Well, it's one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go, cat, go!"
--Carl Perkins' 'Blue Suede Shoes'

A car accident prevented Perkins from belting out these iconic words on national TV. And, while he was laid up in a hospital, he had to watch Elvis do it.
Previous Next

Listen to the line!

Posted by Spinner Staff
Filed under: The Hit List

  • Permalink
  • Email This
  • Share
    • Facebook
    • Digg it!
    • StumbleUpon
    • Del.icio.us
    • Bebo
    • Propeller
    • Google
  • Comments (18)

Reader Comments(1 of 1)

vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

Thyme2dreamat 8-06-2007

No disrespect to the king, but Im glad they used this version of the song...Carl's original of this was INCREDIBLE...that was how rock was sposed to be played, and Elvis jus didnt have the soul that Perkins had.

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

mikeat 8-07-2007

what i dont get is they credit this song to cal perkins even though the more famous version is by elvis, yet dylan wrote all along the watchtower yet it is credited to hendrix on this list. nice going aol, you dissapoint me once again.

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

The Truthat 8-07-2007

1. No disrespect to the king, but Im glad they used this version of the song...Carl's original of this was INCREDIBLE...that was how rock was sposed to be played, and Elvis jus didnt have the soul that Perkins had.

Elvis was manufactured "soul". Like a lot of other white guys, he got by on being a white version of black.

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

eyeEatBlogsforBreakfastat 8-12-2007

Johnny Cash gave Perkins the idea for those lines...

look into it

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

Taiwan Brownat 8-13-2007

uhh, mike... you need to go to wikipedia and read up why this is happening! AOL does its research!

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

PeopleDisapointMeat 8-23-2007

Taiwan.
You may not know this but wikipedia is made by regular everyday people who TRY to educate people. But because its just people putting down THEIR version of the truth what makes you think you can trust what they are saying.

Mike.
Perhaps the reason they put the Carl perkins version of this song was because they thought it as better just like Thyme and The Truth are saying. And apparently you read none of the comments about the Hendrix song or else you wold have known that they Dylan and Hendrix collaborated together and Dylan was glad that hendrix took his words and made them into somethign amazing. Next time before you comment and make a fool of your self take time to breathe and attempt to be openminded.

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

Ericat 9-30-2007

Why is this credited to Carl Perkins, although the Elvis version is much more popular? Maybe the performance that was recorded here is better than Elvis' version, or it could simply be a matter of securing the rights to either recording...as for "All Along The Watchtower", the editor acknowledged upfront that Bob Dylan wrote the words, but how many people have actually heard his original recording of it? I know I wouldn't have recognized it, even though the words are as familiar to me as my brothers are...

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

CCat 9-30-2007

I like Elvis Presley's version better. But he did write it, so, yeah, that's why. Elvis is still better and pwns everyone else.

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

shrivie65at 9-30-2007

Get over dylan, Dylan sucks!

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

Nakeisha Brownat 10-05-2007

Why the hell can't people come on here make comments about the artists or songs and have intelligent conversation? Everyone is always telling folks things like:
"Your opinion is wrong!"
"Why the hell you like this band? Are you stupid?"
"Only a retard will listen to this music it f*cking sucks!!!"
I mean I know what I am writing has absolutely nothing to do with the music, which would mean I am contradicting myself. However, it's just that the way people put each other down on here for their own opinions, which we are entitled to, is crazy!

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

sorayaat 10-15-2007

Maybe they used this version because he was the original artist to sing it. I think these people got credit because they sang it to the world. They made it popular, not the writer. (the writer gets credit for writing these great songs somewhere else).

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

Rockyat 2-11-2008

Elvis "got by"?! You're joking, right? The guy had God-given talent, a natural voice, appeal, stage presence. He had it all. I actually met Carl Perkins--nice guy, but no Elvis.

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

CaroleSueat 5-08-2008

Best opening Line EVER:
"She's only sixteen, leave her alone, they said..." Song Title: Into the Night.
Benny Mardones sang it; Errol Normandin claims to have said it. Who cares?
It's a great line!

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

DrawBySundownat 8-04-2008

Simply great.. a classic of all time.

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

iloveyouzachat 8-12-2008

elvis did it better

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

wut up playaat 9-19-2008

Elvis OWNED this song,no one does it like the king!!

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

ol55caddyat 12-26-2008

ELVIS OWNED THIS TUNE.
HE HELD OFF ON RELEASING HIS VERSION UNTIL CARL PERKINS' VERSION GOT TRACTION (AND PUT MONEY IN PERKINS' POCKET).
HE WAS FRIENDS WITH PERKINS AND UNDERSTOOD THE HOSPITAL LAYUP PROBLEM.
AS TO THOSE "BROTHAS" THAT GET OFF ON TRYING TO BAD MOUTH THE KING I SAY "BROADEN YOUR SOUL." ELVIS HAD
MUCHO "SOUL" JUST ASK YOUR GRANMA IF SHE GOT WET WATCHIN THE KING. TRUTH IS TRUTH.

Reply
vote downvote upReportNeutral

jtkikat 6-26-2009

Elvis' version smoked this, that's why it's far more remembered, and anybody who claims EP had no soul is as clueless as clueless gets.

Reply

Add your comments

First time? A confirmation email will be sent to you after submitting.

Members enter your username and password.

Sign in or with your AIM/AOL screenname to post a comment. Or, register for a free account .

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Off-topic, promotional or otherwise inappropriate comments will be removed.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
  • Contact Us
  • Send News Tips
  • Advertise with Us

Ferris Fiasco!

Reel estate, for real.

See Where It's At!

More Spots to Explore

  • 'Office' Pizzeria
  • 'Ace Ventura' Apartment

Shop Now

Listen to Full CDs

  • Son Volt, 'American Central Dust'
  • Jay Brannan, 'In Living Cover'
  • Tiny Vipers, 'Life On Earth'
  • The Donnas, 'Greatest Hits'
  • Discovery, 'LP'
  • All Spinner Full CDs

Search by Artist, Location or Date
  • Upcoming
  • Today
  • Next 7 Days
  • Next 30 Days
Find Tour Dates and Tickets »

Hottest Artists on Tour: Madonna, Taylor Swift, Lady GaGa, Lil' Wayne, AC/DC,

Sessions

Cat Power plays 'Naked' barefoot in our studio.

Watch Cat Power Live

Also on AOL

Spinner

Music

Web

Images

Video

News

Local

SEARCH
Send Us Feedback

Quick Links

  • Celebrity Tattoos
  • Celebrities Without Makeup
  • Christmas Music
  • Sad Songs
  • Coldplay
  • Nickelback
  • Slipknot Masks
  • Lil Wayne
  • Kanye West
  • Best Michael Jackson Songs
  • Best Songs Of 2008

Also on AOL Music

  • Concert Tickets
  • Country Music
  • Grammys
  • Hip-Hop Music
  • Lyrics
  • Metal Music
  • Music News
  • Music Videos
  • New Music Releases
  • Online Radio
  • PopEater

Blogs on AOL

  • Autoblog
  • Be Red
  • BloggingStocks
  • Cinematical
  • DownloadSquad
  • Engadget
  • Fanhouse
  • Joystiq
  • StyleList
  • TMZ

More on AOL

  • African-American Culture
  • AOL Video
  • Breaking News
  • CityGuide
  • Food
  • Love
  • Media Player
  • Musica Latina
  • Pixcetera
  • Singles
  • Wallet Pop

More on AOL

  • Television
  • Movies
  • Money
  • Mapquest
  • Horoscopes
  • Health
  • AOL Latino
  • Games
  • SHOUTcast

Help Links

  • Advertise With Us
  • Mail
  • Notify AOL
  • Privacy Policy
  • Search
  • Terms of Service
  • Trademarks
  • Follow Spinner on Twitter
  • The Interface
  • Free Mp3
  • Full CDs
  • RSS
  • Terms of Use

Spinner.com © 2009 AOL LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Download and listen to free music, Internet radio and MP3s; or watch free music videos, concerts and live performances. Use the music search function and read the blog to find information on new, established and indie rock recording artists. Get free music downloads on the MP3 blog and more on Spinner.