I've Got a Tiger By the Tail

"I've Got a Tiger By the Tail" is a song made famous by country music singer Buck Owens. Released in December 1964, the song became one of Owens' signature songs and showcases of the Bakersfield sound in the genre.

[edit] About the song

Owens — in the liner notes to The Buck Owens Collection: 1959-1990 — recalled that he and songwriter Harlan Howard had gotten together to write songs, but things were going slowly. Then, Owens saw an Esso gas station sign with the company's slogan at the time, "Put a tiger in your tank" ... and got an idea.^[1]

Released in December 1964 (just weeks after he had recorded it), "I've Got a Tiger By the Tail" became Owens' sixth No. 1 hit on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart in February 1965. Although its five weeks atop the chart made it far from Owens' biggest hit from a chart standpoint — several of his other No. 1 songs spent anywhere from six to 16 weeks at No. 1^[2] — "I've Got a Tiger By the Tail" is often considered Owens' biggest hit.

The song also became Owens' lone Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at No. 25.^[3]

[edit] Succession

Preceded by "You're the Only World I Know" by Sonny James	Billboard Hot Country Singles number one single by Sonny James February 20-March 20, 1965 by Buck Owens	Succeeded by "King of the Road" by Roger Miller