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.
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.