Joseph Clinton Million, my grandfather, died in 1975. I was four years-old; far too young to really remember him, let alone know him. What I do remember is a song; a song he sang to his children, a song my mother sang to me.
Before he died, my grandfather transcribed the lyrics of that song for my mother. While I had the lyrics of the song, I knew nothing else about it. I’d never heard it sung outside of my family. I had no idea who wrote it, who sang it or when it was written.
Shorty before my nephew was born, I decided to do some research and see if I could find out more about the song. I turned to, what else, the internet. It was slow going, but my break through came when I discovered the song I knew as A Tiny Turned Up Nose was actually titled That Little Boy of Mine.
My research turned up nearly twenty artists who have recorded That Little Boy of Mine, and it seems to have become a standard for early Country music singers; Rex Allen, Gene Autry, Eddy Arnold and Bonnie Owens to name a few. I have been able to track down twelve of those recordings. I have also been able to acquire several versions of the sheet music from eBay.
This site is a tribute to Joseph Clinton Million, my grandfather, a man I barely knew, but, who through this song, will always be a part of me.
That Little Boy of Mine
Original lyrics from 1929
Who cares for fame and fortune,
Who cares for wealth or gold,
Because I find a fortune,
With-in my arms I hold;
A tiny turned up nose,
Two cheeks just like a rose,
So sweet from head to toes,
That little boy of mine,
Two arms that hold me tight,
Two eyes that shine so bright,
Two lips that kiss “Good-Night”,
That little boy of mine,
No one will ever know
just what his coming has meant,
Because I love him so,
He’s something heaven has sent,
He’s all the world to me,
He climbs up on my knee,
To me he’ll always be,
That little boy of mine.
I dreamed about a castle,
’Twas high up in the skies,
But in a little cradle,
My dreams I realized;
A tiny turned up nose,
Two cheeks just like a rose,
So sweet from head to toes,
That little boy of mine,
Two arms that hold me tight,
Two eyes that shine so bright,
Two lips that kiss “Good-Night”,
That little boy of mine,
And when he lays his head
upon his pillow so white
I pray the Lord above
To guide him safe thru the night
In dreams I see his face
And feel his sweet embrace,
There’s no one can replace,
That little boy of mine.