Complete the Lyrics to These 1950s Hits

Bobby Darin’s 1959 song “Mack the Knife” is actually a cover of a song from Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s 1928 musical “The Threepenny Opera.” Darin’s cover jettisoned the song to immense popularity, however, and it hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1959. Darin’s “Mack the Knife” even reached No. 255 on “Rolling Stone’s” list of the top 500 songs of all time.

“The Battle of New Orleans” appears on the 1959 album "The Spectacular Johnny Horton.” The tune is written as if sung by a soldier participating in the 1815 Battle of New Orleans. The song features army chants of “hut-two” and “three-four” during the verses, and lyrics including “fired our guns and the British kept-a-comin’” during the chorus.

Few songs are more synonymous with the Man in Black than 1956’s “I Walk the Line.” It was Cash’s first No. 1 country song and first pop hit as well, reaching No. 17 on those charts. Cash initially recorded a slower-tempo version in April 1956, but re-recorded it at a faster pace for the song’s eventual release.

The Champs released the song “Tequila” as the B-side to the track “Train to Nowhere” in December 1957. “Tequila” proved to be more popular, however, climbing to No. 1 in the U.S. in March 1958. Largely an instrumental hit, the song’s only lyric is the word “tequila,” which is sung at three different points throughout the tune.

“Rock Around the Clock” was a 1950s hit from Bill Haley & His Comets, becoming the first rock song ever to top the charts. It was the original theme song for the TV show “Happy Days,” and also the biggest-selling single of the 1950s in the U.K. The band later starred in a 1956 movie titled after the song.

“Yakety Yak” was a 1958 hit by the Coasters, and was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (who also wrote “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock”). The song lyrics were critical of systemically oppressive societal institutions at the time. “Yakety Yak” also featured a famous saxophone solo recorded by King Curtis, who worked for Atlantic Records in the 1960s.

In 1952, blues singer Big Mama Thornton became the first performer to record “Hound Dog.” Four years later, in 1956, Elvis Presley hit No. 1 with his rendition. The song underwent several lyrical changes between Thornton and Elvis’ recordings, including the addition of the line “cryin’ all the time.” “Hound Dog” was Elvis’ longest-running No. 1 hit, holding the spot for 11 weeks.

Released on September 21, 1959, the Isley Brothers’ “Shout, Pts. 1 & 2” became one of the most popular call and response songs in music history. Lyrics include lines such as, “Kick my heels up and (shout!)” The song is also known for its bridge, which initially gets “a little bit softer now” and then “a little bit louder now.”

“That’s Amore” was a song written by Harry Warren and Jack Brooks in 1953, and then popularized in a recording by crooner Dean Martin. The lyrics include other similar lines such as, “When the world seems to shine like you had too much wine, that’s amore,” and “When the stars make you drool like pasta fazool, that’s amore.”

Sheb Wooley’s “The Purple People Eater” was a true novelty song, yet still reached No. 1 on the charts. It was Wooley’s only Hot 100 hit, though he later made it to No. 1 on the country charts with the song “That’s My Pa.” “The Purple People Eater” was made into a 1988 film of the same name starring Neil Patrick Harris.

Though Elvis Presley made “Blue Suede Shoes” famous, the song was initially released by Carl Perkins on December 19, 1955. The track begins with the lyrics, “Well, it’s one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go, cat, go!” before launching into lyrics about the singer’s titular blue suede shoes.

Jerry Lee Lewis hit it big with the song “Great Balls of Fire,” released on November 11, 1957. The singer opens by stating, “You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain,” before exclaiming, “Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!” at the end of that verse. The song was later included as part of 1986’s “Top Gun” soundtrack.

In September 1956, Fats Domino released the song “Blueberry Hill” on the album “This Is Fats Domino!” It opens with the line, “I found my thrill on Blueberry Hill. On Blueberry Hill, when I found you.” The song ends with, “Though we’re apart, you’re part of me still. For you were my thrill on Blueberry Hill.”

“That’ll Be the Day” was first recorded by Buddy Holly in 1956 and re-recorded with his band the Crickets in 1957. The song is a mere 2 minutes and 17 seconds in length, but it was Holly’s first major hit and helped redefine rock music. Initially, the song was rejected by record executives who believed rock ‘n’ roll was a passing fad.

“Come Fly With Me” is the opening track on Frank Sinatra’s 1958 album of the same name, though a later version of the song proved to be more popular. In the song, Sinatra asks the listener to “come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away” to places such as Bombay, Peru, and Acapulco Bay.

Whop bop b-luma b-lop bam bom” is the iconic opener to Little Richard’s classic track “Tutti Frutti.” The song was released in 1955 and was the performer’s first smash hit. Not only did it help pave the way for Little Richard’s prolific career, but the tune also helped reshape rock ’n’ roll music at the time.