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No Place Like Home With Take an Old Cold Tater (And wait) By Little Jimmy Dickens

Little Jimmy Dicken - Take An Old Cold Tater & Wait
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Released and recorded by Little Jimmy Dickens in 1949, “Take an Old Cold Tater (And Wait)” was his first single while he worked with Columbia Records. The song peaked at number seven on the Hot Country Songs chart, launching his career and initiating a series of hit songs that country fans grew to love along the way. The title originated from the saying that Little Jimmy Dickens’ Mom would always tell him to take a tater and wait as he expresses it in a comedic and comical way of lyricism in the song. The song would make the singer, Hank Williams, give Little Jimmy Dickens the nickname “Tater.” 

Meaning Behind The Song

The song Take An Old Cold Tater (And Wait) by Little Jimmy Dickens expresses itself. Little Jimmy Dickens’ upbeat song is about a young boy who lives in his parents’ house. His mother would always make a batch of chicken for their visitors, so he had to wait until only the neck and feet remained. Little Jimmy Dickens grew up to be a man of 4 feet and 11 inches in height, and he says in the lyrics, “That’s why I look so bad and have these puny ways,” because he ate potatoes most of the time.

RELATED: The 10 Little Jimmy Dickens Songs To Listen To If You’re Having a Bad Day

The song gives you a glimpse of Little Jimmy Dicken’s home life. It provides a sense of simplicity with its joyful array of instruments giving a cheerful and bubbly tune. It is guaranteed to make you chuckle or smile a little because of the lyrics accompanied by its catchy tune. It is a lighthearted story about a boy who wanted chicken but was given potatoes instead.  

Listen to Little Jimmy Dickens and his wonderful song “Take An Old Cold Tater (And Wait)” below.

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