In 1950, McPhatter joined Billy Ward & the Dominoes, and was present for the recording of "Sixty Minute Man", which was a huge hit in 1951, and was one of the earliest rock and roll records. After several more hits, McPhatter quit the group in 1953 because he made little money and gained virtually no fame, in spite of his voice being the lead on most of the group's songs. McPhatter then signed to Atlantic Records after forming a group, The Drifters. "Money Honey", "Such a Night", "Honey Love", "White Christmas" and "Whatcha Gonna Do" became huge hits.
In 1954, McPhatter was drafted but was assigned in the U.S., allowing him to continue recording. He soon left The Drifters and launched a solo career. His first solo hit occurred just after being discharged - "Love Has Joined Us Together" (with Ruth Brown). He released several R&B hits in the next few years, but only made one serious dent in the pop charts with the Brook Benton penned song "A Lovers Question", which made it to #6 in 1958. White groups usually covered his best compositions and achieved more widespread mainstream success. In spite of this, McPhatter became one of the most popular black musicians among white listeners. His 1956 recording of "Treasure of Love" saw him enjoy just one week in the UK singles chart. The lack of any subsequent entry gave him the unenviable tag there of being a one hit wonder
McPhatter soon signed to MGM Records, and released several more hits. "I Told Myself a Lie" and "Think Me a Kiss" (1960) became minor pop hits, as was "Ta Ta", his first single for Mercury Records. "I Never Knew" and "Lover Please" (1962) became even bigger pop hits, but his career started suffering due to his alcoholism. Other black artists were following McPhatter's blueprint into pop audiences, including Rudy Lewis, Johnny Moore, Sam Cooke and an all new line-up of The Drifters. McPhatter's unreliability kept him from maintaining his career in the face of this competition. As the 1960s wore on, McPhatter's career kept falling in spite of a few minor hits.
In the early 1970s, McPhatter spent some time living in England, where he still had a significant audience, but this was short-lived. Back again in America, Clyde McPhatter died of a heart attack in 1972, at the age of 39.
In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Lucille
Clyde McPhatter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lucille, you won't do your daddy's will
You ran off and married, but I love you still
Lucille, please come back where you belong
Lucille, please come back where you belong
I've beggin' to ya, baby, please don't leave me alone
I asked my friends about her but all their lips was tight
Lucille, please come back where you belong
I've been good to you baby, please don't leave me alone
Lucille, baby, satisfy my heart
Lucille, baby, satisfy my heart
I played love with you baby, and gave you such a wonderful start
The song Lucille by Clyde McPhatter is a classic blues tune that tells a story of a man pleading for his lover to come back to him. In the opening lines, the singer addresses Lucille and points out that she is not doing what her daddy wants her to do. This line is significant because it highlights the societal norms of the era in which the song was written, where women were expected to abide by their parents' wishes. However, Lucille has gone against that by running off to marry someone else. Nevertheless, the man professes his love for her and wants her to come back to him.
As the song progresses, the singer continues to plead with his lover to return to him, explaining that he has been good to her and asking his friends about her whereabouts. While the lyrics are straightforward, they are full of emotion and convey the desperation felt by the man who is missing his lover. The use of repetition in the chorus emphasizes the singer's plea for Lucille to come back.
Overall, the song Lucille is a timeless classic that captures the pain of heartbreak and the struggles of love. Clyde McPhatter's soulful voice adds depth to the lyrics and creates a sense of intimacy and vulnerability that resonates with listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Lucille, you won't do your daddy's will
Lucille, you won't follow the wishes of your father
Lucille, you won't do your daddy's will
Lucille, you won't follow the wishes of your father
You ran off and married, but I love you still
You got married to someone else, but I still love you
Lucille, please come back where you belong
Lucille, please return to your rightful place with me
Lucille, please come back where you belong
Lucille, please return to your rightful place with me
I've beggin' to ya, baby, please don't leave me alone
I've been pleading with you, baby, please don't abandon me
I woke up this mornin', Lucille was not in sight
I woke up this morning and couldn't find Lucille anywhere
I asked my friends about her but all their lips was tight
I asked my friends about her, but none of them would tell me anything
Lucille, please come back where you belong
Lucille, please return to your rightful place with me
I've been good to you baby, please don't leave me alone
I've treated you well, baby, please don't abandon me
Lucille, baby, satisfy my heart
Lucille, baby, make my heart happy
Lucille, baby, satisfy my heart
Lucille, baby, make my heart happy
I played love with you baby, and gave you such a wonderful start
I've loved you, baby, and helped you get a great beginning in life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Matthew Christian Murray
Helen Alexander Actually the two songs (with two different backing groups) were recorded a few months apart, both in 1953. I think they were both released in 1953 as well.
Interesting notes about "Lucille":
-It was the only song released from its recording session. The other three were kept in the cans.
-First-tenor backing vocal (which you can prominently hear) is done by "Little" David Baughan, a teenager who would later rejoin the Drifters after Clyde was drafted. He can be heard as lead on the Drifters' song "Honey Bee," as well as the Checkers' "House With No Windows" and on "I Could Have Told You" by the Harmony Grits (aka Original Drifters).
Baritone backing vocal here is by David Baldwin. He was a brother of the author James Baldwin and would be James' caretaker/best friend in the author's last years.
Lynn Walker
Still in awe of this man's talent ... truly the royalty of R&B
Donald Morrow
One day while being thoroughly entertained by "Such A Night," I flipped the record over and the earth shook. "Lucille" is the greatest, most complete performance Clyde ever did with the Drifters...he did it all here. And the Drifters themselves were just hollering so effectively on this record that the engineer wisely mixed them as far forward as Clyde. R&B so lowdown that it should have been the "A" side of the single. You want a reason both Clyde and the Drifters are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listen to this just once.
My My
This man's voice is unreal!!!!!!!!!! Wow! the song itself does not do anything for me, but for me to notice his off the charts voice, that's it! I can't say anymore, I think you get my point!
twocanplayatthat
This is just stunning! What an awesome sound!
Jim Ervin
Such a classic call and response doowop song. I think I'll take this one even more than the Little Richard Lucille song.
13loomisst
One of the all-time killers. The early Drifters' stuff is overwhelming.
TheMickvee
Absolutely outstanding!
Ron Rico
One of the trully classic tunes from the fabulous 50s! Another of the great Atlantic groups. Thanx PJ.
Tannie Brinx
You go Clyde sing your song man I just love your voice
Darryl Evans
One of greatest doowoop songs The Dricters and Clyde Mc