Christine and Dennis first heard the Jenkins sing at the same middle school their son was attending.
Their harmonies were so lovely, Dennis asked them if they'd ever considered putting a demo together.
Events unfolded and within a year, thanks to producer Peter Bunetta, they had a deal with Capitol Records. "Blame It On Mama" was a top 40 hit on country radio.
Credits:
All songs written by Dennis Hysom, Christine Walker & Nancy Jenkins
*Walk Away written by Hysom, Walker, Jenkins & Sally Barris
Click forward/backward on the player to hear all songs!
Blame it on Mama
When I was six or seven, Mama tucked me in
With a lullaby that made my eyes open wide again
I’d lie awake and wonder why a boy named Billy Joe
Jumped off the Tallahatchee Bridge to the river far below
(Chorus)
Blame it on Mama and the songs she loved to sing
I’m not from Louisiana but that don’t mean a thing
Don’t come from Alabama or hail from Tennessee
Blame it on Mama, she sang the country into me...
He Feels Like Home
Mama, I’m sorry for gettin’ home late
Thanks for leavin’ on the light
Won’t you come here and sit with me
It’s such a beautiful night
Tell me again about you and daddy
The moment that you knew
‘Cause being with this boy tonight
Feels like my dream come true
(Chorus)
Mama, he feels like home, So safe and warm
Like I’ve always known him,
Even though we’ve just begun
You always said, That’s how I’d know
That I had found the one
Oh Mama, he feels like home...
Paul Newman Blues
The ceiling fan was purring
A little breeze was stirring
She was sittin’ on the porch with an iced lemonade
Just out of the shower--
All perfumed and powdered
Doin’ what she could to keep from meltin’ away
Then she saw him comin’
Looked like he’d been thumbin’
A tall drink of water with some 6 pack steel
Down on his luck
Just hopped off a truck
Had Mississippi dust from his brim to his heels
He stopped at her gate
Said he’d sure appreciate
Wet his whistle if she didn’t mind
And as he drank he joked
That he’d hitched from North Dakota
Just to warm himself below the Mason-Dixon Line
(chorus)
When he smiled (like he was so amused)
She got a little dizzy (and a lot confused)
She felt somethin' sizzle (he felt it too)
The way he looked her over with his Paul Newman blues...
Walk Away*
He met her on the road to New Orleans
She had a forsaken look in her eyes
He said, “Can I help you? My name’s Jimmy Lee.”
She said—“I’m Loralie.”
“You don’t want to mess with a woman like me
You’ll only put yourself in harm’s way
You look like a kind man, Jimmy Lee
For God’s sake, walk away.”
But love makes up its own mind
It all comes down to chance
Jimmy Lee was a good, good man
Stuck in a bad circumstance
(Chorus)
Walk away, don’t ever look back
I know it’s easy to say
You’re a good man, but you’re on the wrong track
For your heart’s sake, walk away...
