RICKY NELSON - HELLO MARY-LOU

HELLO MARY-LOU

RICKY NELSON

SONGWRITER: GENE PITNEY

COUNTRY: U.S.A.

ALBUM: HELLO MARY LOU

LABEL: IMPERIAL RECORDS

GENRE: ROCKABILLY

YEAR 1961

"Hello Mary Lou" is a song written by U.S. singer Gene Pitney first recorded by Johnny Duncan in 1960, and later by Ricky Nelson in 1961.

Nelson's version, issued as the B-side of his No. 1 hit "Travelin' Man", (Imperial 5741), reached No. 9 on the Billboard music charts on May 28, 1961. In the United Kingdom, where it was released as an A-side (with "Travelin' Man" as the B-side), it reached No. 2. It was also a hit in much of Europe, particularly Norway, where it spent 14 weeks at No. 1. In New Zealand, the song reached No. 4.

A 1991 reissue following the song's use in a TV advert gave the song a second chart run, peaking at No. 45 in the UK Singles Chart.

The song features an influential guitar solo by James Burton, often cited by later guitarists such as Brian May. Piano is by Ray Johnson, who had succeeded Gene Garf as Nelson's regular session pianist in November 1959. Other musicians on the record include Joe Osborne on bass and Ritchie Frost on drums.

The song appears on Nelson's sixth album Rick Is 21.

Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American actor, musician, and singer-songwriter. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1957 he began a long and successful career as a popular recording artist. As one of the top "teen idols" of the 1950s his fame led to a motion picture role co-starring alongside John Wayne and Dean Martin in Howard Hawks's western feature film Rio Bravo (1959). He placed 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1957 and 1973 including "Poor Little Fool", which holds the distinction of being the first #1 song on Billboard magazine's then-newly created Hot 100 chart. He recorded 19 additional Top 10 hits and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987. In 1996, he was ranked #49 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

Hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart

Sweet Mary Lou, I'm so in love with you

I knew Mary Lou, we'd never part

So hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart

You passed me by one sunny day

Flashed those big brown eyes my way

And oo I wanted you forever more

Now I'm not one that gets around

Swear my feet stuck to the ground

And though I never did meet you before

I said, hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart

Sweet Mary Lou, I'm so in love with you

I knew Mary Lou, we'd never part

So hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart

I saw your lips I heard your voice

Believe me I just had no choice

Wild horses couldn't make me stay away

I thought about a moonlit night

My arms about good an' tight

That's all I had to see for me to say

Hey, hey, hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart

Sweet Mary Lou, I'm so in love with you

I knew Mary Lou, we'd never part

So hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart

So hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart

Yes hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart.