Throwing back to the week of August 23, 1955, we find Bill Haley & the Comets and Pat Boone holding on to the top two spots with ‘Rock Around the Clock‘ and ‘Ain’t That a Shame,’ respectively.
That brings us to the #3 song that week, Mitch Miller’s version of ‘The Yellow Rose of Texas,’ which eventually reached #1. This traditional tune dates back at least 100 years from Miller’s recording. The original version had references to “darkeys” and “yellow women” that were sanitized over the years.
This song, with its military marching beat, eventually unseated ‘Rock Around the Clock’ at #1 and spent its own six weeks in the top spot. That’s a tremendous amount of success for a song that sounds like it should be playing during a promotional film at the state capitol.
There’s a yellow rose in Texas that I am gonna see
Nobody else could miss her, not half as much as me
She cried so when I left her, it like to broke my heart
And if I ever find her we never more will part
[Chorus]
She’s the sweetest little rosebud that Texas ever knew
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew
You may talk about your Clementine and sing of Rosa Lee
But the Yellow Rose of Texas is the only girl for me
[Verse 2]
Where the Rio Grande is flowin’, and starry skies are bright
She walks along the river in the quiet summer night
I know that she remembers when we parted long ago
I promised to return and not to leave her so
[Chorus]
She’s the sweetest little rosebud that Texas ever knew
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew
You may talk about your Clementine and sing of Rosa Lee
But the Yellow Rose of Texas is the only girl for me
[Chorus]
Oh, now I’m gonna find her, for my heart is full of woe
We’ll do the things together we did so long ago
We’ll play the banjo gaily, she’ll love me like before
And the Yellow Rose of Texas shall be mine forevermore
[Chorus]
She’s the sweetest little rosebud that Texas ever knew
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew
You may talk about your Clementine and sing of Rosa Lee
But the Yellow Rose of Texas is the only girl for me
[Chorus]
Oh, now I’m gonna find her, for my heart is full of woe
We’ll do the things together we did so long ago
We’ll play the banjo gaily, she’ll love me like before
And the Yellow Rose of Texas shall be mine forevermore
[Chorus]
She’s the sweetest little rosebud that Texas ever knew
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew
You may talk about your Clementine and sing of Rosa Lee
But the Yellow Rose of Texas is the only girl for me
Meet Me In Montauk 
Boy, the mid 50s were such an odd transitional time in music!
Hard to believe this song was that popular 🤷♀️