Today (December 2) would have been Roger Miller’s 89th birthday. Miller has a deep and varied discography. However, many remember him for his novelty songs. Tracks like “You Can’t Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd” and “Dang Me” are still putting smiles on listeners’ faces decades after the singer/songwriter passed away.
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Miller died after a battle with lung cancer in 1992 at the age of 56. However, his legacy still lives on through the wealth of songs he left behind. To celebrate his birthday, we’re going to look at four timeless songs from his catalog.
“Tall, Tall Trees”
“Tall, Tall Trees” is one of the most popular songs to come out of Miller’s pen. However, it wasn’t a hit for him. He co-wrote the song with country icon George Jones who released it as the B-side to his single “Hearts in My Dream” in 1957. Later, Miller recorded the song for his 1970 album A Trip to the Country but didn’t release it as a single.
Alan Jackson—a longtime fan of Jones—recorded the most successful version of the song. He released it as a single from his 1995 album The Greatest Hits Collection. It went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, giving Jackson his 11th chart-topper.
“Dang Me”
Roger Miller wrote “Dang Me” in a matter of minutes and released it in 1964 as the lead single from his album Roger and Out. The song was his first No. 1 on the country chart. It also landed at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving him his first crossover hit.
“Dang Me” is the perfect example of why Miller is remembered for his humor. It’s one of those songs that will put a smile on just about anyone’s face.
[RELATED: More Than “King of the Road” and “Dang Me”: 5 Fascinating Facts About Roger Miller]
“King of the Road”
Roger Miller wrote this classic after seeing a sign that read “Trailers for sale or rent.” The sign gave him the opening line to a song about the life of a traveling hobo. “King of the Road” went on to be one of his most successful songs.
Released in 1964 as the second and final single from The Return of Roger Miller, the song went to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart and No. 4 on the all-genre Hot 100 survey. It also brought Miller five Grammy Awards including Best Country & Western Single and Best Country & Western Song. The album brought him the award for Best Country & Western Album.
“One Dyin’ and a Buryin’”
“One Dyin’ and a Buryin’” highlights the range Roger Miller had as a songwriter. While most of his songs are upbeat or even goofy, this single from his 1965 album The 3rd Time Around is sad and serious. In it, the brokenhearted narrator contemplates drowning himself in the river to escape the pain of losing his love.
It was a top 10 hit for Miller and appears on several greatest hits compilations. For instance, it appears between “Chug-A-Lug” and “Kansas City Star” on Golden Hits, released in 1965. Hearing this song about committing suicide by drowning after humorous classics like “Do-Wacka-Do” is jarring, to say the least.
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