Country Pioneer Ernest Tubb Sings His Honky Tonk Single “Walking The Floor Over You”
on Feb 08, 2016 • Updated Mar 23, 2023
The Man Who Helped Shape Country Music
Known as The Texas Troubadour, Ernest Tubb is considered one of the pioneers of country music. With a career starting in 1936 and spanning 46 years, Tubb was truly a country music revolutionary.
@CFRC Tune in this Sunday as Johnny Woodlock pays tribute to the texas troubadour Ernest Tubb's 105th birthday with special guest Glenn D. Tubb and loads of Ernest Tubb Music from 2-4 est on CFRC pic.twitter.com/EJeyObaVYU
— WAY-BACK-COUNTRY (@WAYBACKJAM) February 6, 2019
Tubb was one of the first singers to record a hit version of the classic Christmas tune “Blue Christmas” in 1948. A few years later, Elvis Presley released his own version of the song, which was also a major hit.
In 1965, Tubb released his hit song “Waltz Over Texas,” which eventually became one of his most popular songs and is still used throughout Texas during Waltz lessons.
The Greatest Hit To His Name
However, Tubb is best known for his 1941 song “Walking the Floor Over You.” Written by Tubb himself, the original version of the song contained only Tubb’s vocals along with acoustic guitar in the background. Later, Tubb recorded the song again with his band, The Texas Troubadours.
“Walking the Floor Over You” was a major hit for Tubb, selling over a million copies following its release. Beyond that, the song and Tubb are credited with helping to mark the rise of the honky tonk style of country music. Music critic David Vinopal went so far as to say that “‘Walking the Floor Over You’ was the first honky tonk song, launching not only Tubb‘s career but also the musical genre itself.”
As to be expected, Tubb performed “Walking the Floor Over You” many times throughout his career, including the televised performance in the video below. With the song’s honky tonk style and Tubb’s honest delivery of the lyrics, it doesn’t surprise us that it became such a big hit.
Also featured in the performance are Tubb’s band, The Texas Troubadours, who get their time to shine during a short instrumental break in the middle of the performance.
The crowd’s applause and the big smile on Tubb’s face following his performance say it all. “Walking the Floor Over You” is a fun song to listen to and was equally fun for Tubb to sing.
