Moody River
| "Moody River" | |
|---|---|
 Moody River by Pat Boone | |
| Single by Pat Boone | |
| from the album Moody River | |
| B-side | "A Thousand Years" |
| Released | May 1961 |
| Genre | Country pop |
| Length | 2:41 |
| Label | Dot |
| Songwriter(s) | Gary D. Bruce |
| Producer(s) | Randy Wood |
| Audio sample | |
"Moody River" is a song written by and originally performed by country rockabilly singer Chase Webster (real name Gary Daniel Bruce, not to be confused with Gary Bruce of the Knack).
Pat Boone recorded and released his own version in May 1961, where it reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the following month.[1] This was the title track from one of Boone's better-selling albums. Boone sang this song as if he were in pain.
Plot
The song tells the story of a man who goes to meet his love at the river, by the old oak tree, and finds that she has committed suicide. A note on the riverbank explains that she has cheated on him and that "No longer can I live with this hurt and this sin. I just couldn't tell you that guy was just a friend." He then looks into the river and sees his own reflection on the river looking back, ever hauntingly, at him. He is the "lonely, lonely face just lookin' back at me". So with "Tears in his eyes, and a prayer on his lips, and the glove of his lost love, at his fingertips".
Chart performance
| Chart (1961) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (CHUM Hit Parade)[2] | 1 |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[3] | 1 |
| U.K. Singles charts | 18 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[4] | 1 |
| U.S. Adult Contemporany | 4 |
Cover Versions
- It was covered some years later by Johnny Burnette in 1962.
- Frank Sinatra and Johnny Rivers also recorded versions of the song.
- In August 2009, John Fogerty covered the song in the album entitled The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again.
See also
References
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ^ CHUM Tribute Charts, June 26, 1961
- ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 20 July 1961
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
External links
- Pat Boone at Bear Family Records
- Video of original recording by Chase Webster on YouTube
- "Beachwood Reporter" background and commentary on Moody River
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