My interpretation of this great old song.
Ted Daffan
Remember the old country song, “Born to Lose?”
The sad tale of a luckless lover, the song was introduced in 1942, but it wasn¹t until 1962, when Ray Charles recorded the song, that it soared to the top of the music charts as a million dollar hit with these words:
Born to lose, I’ve lived my life in vain
Every dream has only brought me pain
All my life, I’ve always been so blue
Born to lose and now I’m losing you
The song also became a part of America¹s vocabulary — the synonym for hard luck. Even Frank & Ernie used in a famous cartoon where St. Peter asks a newcomer to Heaven, “Is it true that in a previous life you were a French painter?” The newcomer¹s reply: “Yes, I was born Toulose.”
The original composer of the old standard, East Texan Ted Daffan, has been forgotten by most country music fans, but he was anything but a flash in the pan.
Daffan, who lived in Lufkin, was a band leader, a musician, a singer, a recording artist and a songwriter. His career spanned more than 40 years and he continued to publish songs until his death in his eighties.
Daffan played steel guitar with bands in the Houston area before starting his own band, Ted Daffan and His Texans. As a band leader, he pioneered the use of the steel guitar as a lead instrument and in solos, a departure from the traditional fiddle sounds used by most country bands. Daffan’s clean, distinctive sound — which combined blues and swing — and his songs influenced artists for years to come.
Like “Born to Lose,” a number of Daffan songs were recorded by other artists. Among them were Ray Charles, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Willis, Fats Domino, Rosemary Clooney, Ringo Starr and Elton John.
In 1943, Daffan’s “No Letter Today” topped the charts and competed with the Mills Brothers’ “Paper Doll,” Frank Sinatra’s “It¹s Always You,” and a song by fellow East Texan Al Dexter, “Pistol Packing Momma.”
Other Daffan hits were “Worried Mind” in 1940, “I¹ve Got Five Dollars and It¹s Saturday Night” in 1950, and “I’m A Fool to Care” in 1954.
One of Daffan’s biggest hits, “Truck Drivers’ Blues,” was written when he stopped at a roadside diner and made a prophetic observation. While chowing down, he noticed that every time a trucker parked his rig and strolled into the cafe, the first thing he did, even before ordering a cup of coffee, was push a coin in the jukebox.
It occurred to him that if he could write a song for those drivers, their nickels might make him rich and famous.
He went home and wrote a song recorded by western swing artist Cliff Bruner in 1939. It sold more than 100,000 copies — which was a smash hit in the thirties — and went on to become a part of James Jones’ best-selling novel,”From Here to Eternity.”
In 1949, Daffan received a rare gold record for his own recording of “Born to Lose” and a platinum disk in 1982 for Ray Charles’ recording of the same song.
Before his 1996 death in Houston, Daffan was honored by the Academy of Country Music Hall of Fame, the Texas Swing Music Hall of Fame, the Western Swing Society, the Texas Steel Guitar Association, the State of Louisiana, and the Nashville Songwriters Association.
But one of Daffan¹s most unusual honors came in 1981 when the upper-crust Smithsonian Institute included Daffan¹s music in an anthology of 50 years of American country music.
By now, Daffan¹s old forties hit, “Born to Lose,” was anything but the hymn of a loser.
Duration : 0:3:27
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November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Thans for stopping …
Thans for stopping by.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Fantastic work, sir!
Fantastic work, sir!
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Thanks for stopping …
Thanks for stopping by. I subscribed to your site and will check out your posts in the nest few days. Looking forward to it.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
real good job sir, …
real good job sir,tks.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Thank you glad you …
Thank you glad you stopped by.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Good job.
Good job.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
thank you for …
thank you for stopping by and for the great comment, Will as long as my voice holds out and my fingers still work ont the guitar. I enjoy doing this and comments like yours make it worth while.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Wow I Remember When …
I Love Your Videos/Songs ! Keep Doing More !
Wow I Remember When I Heard This Song I Fell In Love With Johnny Cash’s Version . But Now I Love This Version Just As Much !!!
Thanks For Posting !
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Thanks for stopping …
Thanks for stopping by and giving my songs a listen. Just having fun.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Thanks for the …
Thanks for the complement. and back at you for all the good posts you have.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
You did GREAT on …
You did GREAT on this!
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Enjoyed this song . …
Enjoyed this song .
I recall humming this song when my first wife pssed awy in 1988 – brings a tear still to my eye.
Lloyd.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Thanks for stopping …
Thanks for stopping by glad you enjoyed this. Still having fun and enjoying what everyone else is posting.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
thanks and looking …
thanks and looking forward to more of your great posts.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Glad you stopped by …
Glad you stopped by and thanks for the complement.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
thanks for stopping …
thanks for stopping by and giving it a listen.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Thanks and glad to …
Thanks and glad to be getting everything back to normal around here.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Thanks and a …
Thanks and a pleasant good evening to you. Glad you enjoyed the music.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Darlene, glad to be …
Darlene, glad to be back and set up so I can answer all the emails and start playing some more. Nice to have friends like you
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Thanks Joan …
Thanks Joan appreciate you great comment.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
thanks for the …
thanks for the advice. Will keep the original and skip the background music
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
thank you …
thank you appreciate your stopping by.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Excellent Roy. Jody …
Excellent Roy. Jody and I really enjoyed you doing this song
Thanks Gord and Jody
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Nice one Roy, I …
Nice one Roy, I remember this one blaring out on my Dad’s jukebox. My family owned a Roadhouse back in the 60s. This is one of my favorite songs. Your singing it right Roy, Five stars.
Bill
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
Gosh Roy, No …
Gosh Roy, No wonder we all missed you. This is SO great. A TON of brilliant stars!
Naomi