Bonnie Lou's real name is Mary Jo Kath, and she was born in 1924 in Illinois. Mary grew up listening to Patsy Montana and her band "The Prairie Ramblers", and was greatly inspired by her. Mary learned how to yodel, which was from the help of her Swiss grandmother. As a child she learned how to play two instruments, the violin and guitar. By the young age of 16, she was singing and performing on a local radio show in Bloomington, Illinois. By age 18, Mary went on a bigger radio show, which aired in Kansas City, Missouri. Her exposure on this radio show in Kansas City, helped her land a job as a singer on WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio, where station executive Bill McCluskey hired Mary as a singer a yodeler for his radio show called Midwestern Hayride Country & Western Radio Program. McCluskey was the one who gave Mary Jo the stage name she would be known by for the rest of her life, "Bonnie Lou". While on the radio show in Cincinnati, Lou performed regularly with Country Music girl group the Girls of the Golden West, which Lou listened to as a child.
Bonnie Lou continued radio performances until the end of the 1940s. Her radio performances were even cut to acetate and released to the public. However, Bonnie Lou never truly broke as a recording artist until the 1950s.
[edit]Country and rock and roll star in the 1950s
In 1953, Lou signed on with her first record company called King Records in Cincinnati, Ohio. In the beginning stages of her recording career, Lou recorded Country Music material and released it. Bonnie soon had big Country Music hits with "Tennessee Wig Walk" and "Seven Lonely Days". Both songs were Top 10 country hits. The flip side of her hit "Seven Lonely Days" featured the song "Just Out of Reach", which would later be covered by other Country singers, like Patsy Cline, Billie Jo Spears, Jean Shepard, and k.d. Lang.
Soon, Bonnie started recording rockabilly or rock and roll. In 1954, she recorded the song "Two-Step Side-Step", which was written by Murry Wilson, who is the father of The Beach Boys, Carl, Brian, and Dennis. In 1955, she released her first rock and roll record called "Daddy-O". The song was a Top 15 pop hit that year, and turned Lou into a rock and roll star overnight. The song was later covered by The Fontane Sisters on the Dot Records label. It wasn't until 1958 though that Bonnie had another hit, this a duet with Rusty York called "La Dee Dah". They soon reorded a Teen Pop song together called "I Let the School Bell Ding-a-Ling". Soon, Lou left the King label for another Cincinnati record label called Fraternity. She released several different singles for Fraternity, one of which were as successful as her singles for the King label.
[edit]Later career and personal life today
Bonnie spent more and more of her later career on television, co-hosting the Paul Dixon Show in Cincinnati. But in keeping faithful to her Country Music roots, she also became a regular on WLWT's Midwestern Hayride, (a show inspired by the legendary Shreveport-based Louisiana Hayride) until it went off the air in the early 70s. Bonnie Lou also appeared on the Ruth Lyon's 50-50 Club, a local show produced in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In 2000, the CD, Bonnie Lou - Doin' the Tennessee Walk - The Best of the King Years was released, featuring all of her big hits under King Records.
Bonnie Lou died in her sleep on the morning of December 8, 2015 at Hillebrand Nursing And Rehabilitation Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Seven Lonely Days
Bonnie Lou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seven lonely nights make one lonely me
Ever since the time you told me we were thru
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
Oh, my darlin' you're cryin', boo-hoo-hoo-hoo
There's no use in denyin' I cried for you
It was your favorite pastime, makin' me blue
Last week was the last time I cried for you
Seven letters too I filled with my fears
Guess it never pays to make your lover blue
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
Seven lonely days make one lonely week
Seven lonely nights make one lonely me
Ever since the time you told me we were thru
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
Seven hankies blue I filled with my tears
Seven letters too I filled with my fears
Guess it never pays to make your lover blue
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
I cried and I cried for you
I cried and I cried for you
I cried and I cried for you
I cried and I cried for you
I cried and I cried for you
The lyrics to Bonnie Lou's "Seven Lonely Days" describe the emotional pain and heartbreak of a failed relationship. The singer is consumed with loneliness and spends seven days and nights crying over the loss of her lover. She cannot deny her tears and admits that her lover's favorite pastime was making her blue. However, the last week was the final straw for her, and she has decided to stop crying and move on from this heartbreak. The repetition of "I cried and I cried for you" emphasizes the deep sadness and emotional turmoil the singer is experiencing.
The lyrics speak to the universal experience of a broken heart and the pain that comes with it. The imagery of seven hankies and letters filled with tears and fears highlights the depth of the singer's despair. It is a reminder that love is not always easy and can lead to heartache and loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
Seven lonely days make one lonely week
The singer had been lonely for seven days, which equals a full lonely week.
Seven lonely nights make one lonely me
The singer's loneliness persisted for a full week, affecting them deeply and making them feel even lonelier.
Ever since the time you told me we were thru
The singer's loneliness started when their partner broke up with them.
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
The artist spent the entire week crying over their lost love.
Oh, my darlin' you're cryin', boo-hoo-hoo-hoo
The artist is addressing their former partner who is also crying.
There's no use in denyin' I cried for you
The singer admits to crying over their lost love.
It was your favorite pastime, makin' me blue
The singer implies that their partner enjoyed making them feel sad.
Last week was the last time I cried for you
The artist has finally stopped crying over their ex as the week of loneliness has passed.
Seven hankies blue I filled with my tears
The artist cried so much that they needed seven blue handkerchiefs to wipe away their tears.
Seven letters too I filled with my fears
The artist wrote seven letters expressing their worries and fears about the breakup.
Guess it never pays to make your lover blue
The singer warns that making a lover sad can have consequences.
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
The artist reiterates that they spent the entire week crying over their lost love.
I cried and I cried for you
The singer repeats their sadness over the lost love several times.
Writer(s): Alden Shuman, Earl Shuman, Marshall Brown
Contributed by Alexander R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Queens Qween
Seven lonely days make one lonely week
Seven lonely nights make one lonely me
Ever since the time you told me we were through
Seven lonely days I cried and cried for you
(Oh, my darlin' you're cryin', boo-hoo-hoo-hoo
There's no use in denyin' I cried for you
It was your favorite pastime, makin' me blue
Last week was the last time I cried for you)
Seven hankies blew I filled with my tears
Seven letters too I filled with my tears
Guess it never pays to make your lover blue
Seven lonely days I cried and cried for you
(Oh, my darlin' you're cryin', boo-hoo-hoo-hoo)
Seven lonely days make one lonely week
(There's no use in denyin' I cried for you)
Seven lonely nights make one lonely me
(It was your favorite pastime, makin' me blue)
Ever since the time you told me we were thru
(Last week was the last time I cried for you)
Seven lonely days I cried and cried for you
Seven hankies blew I filled with my tears
Seven letters too I filled with my tears
(It was your favorite pastime, makin' me blue)
Guess it never pays to make your lover blue
(Last week was the last time I cried for you)
Seven lonely days I cried and cried for you
I cried and cried for you
I cried and cried for you
I cried and cried for you
I cried and cried for you
I cried and cried for you
gina sahudi
Seven lonely days make one lonely week
Seven lonely nights make one lonely me
Ever since the time you told me we were thru
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
Oh, my darlin' I'm cryin', boo-hoo-hoo-hoo
There's no use in denyin' I cried for you
It was your favorite pastime, makin' me blue
Last week was the last time I cried for you
Seven hankies blue I filled with my tears
Seven letters true I filled with my fears
Guess it never pays to make your lover blue
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
Oh, my darlin I'm cryin', boo-hoo-hoo-hoo
Now, there's no use in denyin' I cried for you
It's all your favorite pastime, makin' me blue
Last week was the last time I cried for you
Last week was the last time I cried for you...
johnny zell
on Amazon Music
Seven lonely days make one lonely week
Seven lonely nights make one lonely me
Ever since the time you told me we were thru
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
Oh, my darlin' you're cryin', boo-hoo-hoo-hoo
There's no use in denyin' I cried for you
It was your favorite pastime, makin' me blue
Last week was the last time I cried for you
Seven hankies blue I filled with my tears
Seven letters too I filled with my fears
Guess it never pays to make your lover blue
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
Seven lonely days make one lonely week
Seven lonely nights make one lonely me
Ever since the time you told me we were thru
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
Seven hankies blue I filled with my tears
Seven letters too I filled with my fears
Guess it never pays to make your lover blue
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
I cried and I cried for you
I cried and I cried for you
I cried and I cried for you
I cried and I cried for you
I cried and I cried for you
Queens Qween
Seven lonely days make one lonely week
Seven lonely nights make one lonely me
Ever since the time you told me we were through
Seven lonely days I cried and cried for you
(Oh, my darlin' you're cryin', boo-hoo-hoo-hoo
There's no use in denyin' I cried for you
It was your favorite pastime, makin' me blue
Last week was the last time I cried for you)
Seven hankies blew I filled with my tears
Seven letters too I filled with my tears
Guess it never pays to make your lover blue
Seven lonely days I cried and cried for you
(Oh, my darlin' you're cryin', boo-hoo-hoo-hoo)
Seven lonely days make one lonely week
(There's no use in denyin' I cried for you)
Seven lonely nights make one lonely me
(It was your favorite pastime, makin' me blue)
Ever since the time you told me we were thru
(Last week was the last time I cried for you)
Seven lonely days I cried and cried for you
Seven hankies blew I filled with my tears
Seven letters too I filled with my tears
(It was your favorite pastime, makin' me blue)
Guess it never pays to make your lover blue
(Last week was the last time I cried for you)
Seven lonely days I cried and cried for you
I cried and cried for you
I cried and cried for you
I cried and cried for you
I cried and cried for you
I cried and cried for you
King Sun Leung
给我一个吻娥姐
SawEh Htoo
@Theodore Cao Music for life ! :-)
Theodore Cao
Welcome........:-)
SawEh Htoo
Old,but still loving tune ! :-)
Angelo Rinaldi
RIP Bonnie, this song will always live on.
Thanks for standing up for country female singers when no one wanted to give them a chance. 1953, WOW. Only Kitty Wells, Jean Shepard, Goldie Hill and Rose Maddox were around at the time.
Don Hawkins
This is one of the first songs I remember hearing I was 7 yrs old...best version IMO...
SawEh Htoo
Loving tune---love it ! :-)
whispperson
Love listening to this incredible singer
Steptoe58
Always nice to hear this song, especially by Bonnie Lou. What had those female singers in the fifties that I miss nowadays ?