Gibson was born in Shelby, North Carolina into a poor working-class family, he dropped out of school in the second grade.
Gibson's first band was called Sons of the Soil, with whom he made his first recording in 1948. Among his greatest hits were "Oh Lonesome Me" (later recorded by both Ray Charles and Neil Young) and "Blue Blue Day" (both No. 1 hits in 1958); "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" (1959); "Sea of Heartbreak" (1961); "Lonesome No. 1" and "I Can Mend Your Broken Heart" (1962); and "Woman (Sensuous Woman)" (a No. 1 hit in 1972).
Gibson recorded a series of successful duets with Dottie West in the late 1960s, the most successful of which were the No. 2 country hit "Rings of Gold" (1969) and the top 10 hit "There's a Story Goin' Round" (1970). In 1957, Gibson travelled back to Nashville to record "Oh Lonesome Me" for RCA. He and producer Chet Atkins decided to abandon the traditional steel guitar and fiddle and use a new sound featuring only guitars, a piano, a drummer, upright bass, and background singers. It became one of the first examples of what would be called the Nashville Sound and won Gibson a #1 hit; it also set the pattern for a long series of other RCA hits, including “Blue Blue Day” (1958).
A talented songwriter, Gibson was nicknamed "the sad poet" because he frequently wrote songs that told of loneliness and lost love. He wrote and sang "I Can't Stop Loving You", a song that would be recorded by more than 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles with a pop version in 1962. He also wrote and recorded "Sweet Dreams" that would become a major 1963 crossover hit for Patsy Cline. A great fan, in 1967 Roy Orbison recorded an album of his songs simply titled: Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson.
Don Gibson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and in 2001 into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
On his passing in 2003, he was interred in the Sunset Cemetery, in his hometown of Shelby, North Carolina.
Didn't Work Out Did It ?
Don Gibson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll have to admit it
It wasn't so easy, was it?
Didn't work out, did it?
You thought love had made me blind
You could do just as you please
But just like a great big ol' neon sign
Didn't work out, did it?
You'll have to admit it
It wasn't so easy, was it?
Didn't work out, did it?
Didn't work out, did it?
You'll have to admit it
It wasn't so easy, was it?
Didn't work out, did it?
So go on and do what you want to
This time I'm ready for anything
Well, I don't care much what you do
I'm gonna go on and laugh and sing
Didn't work out, did it?
You'll have to admit it
It wasn't so easy, was it?
It didn't work out, did it?
In Don Gibson's "Didn't Work Out, Did It?" lyrics, the singer is addressing their former lover who cheated on them. The singer acknowledges that the relationship did not end well and points out that the cheating partner had underestimated their intelligence, thinking that they were blind to the infidelity. However, like a neon sign, the singer could see right through their partner's actions. The chorus repeats the central question, "Didn't work out, did it?", which serves as a rhetorical way for the singer to emphasize and confirm the damage that has been done to the relationship.
The second half of the song takes a new direction. The singer asserts their newfound strength and independence, claiming that this time they are "ready for anything." The singer seems to have accepted the situation and is moving on without the lover, ready to sing and laugh once again. The repetition of the chorus serves as a sort of questioning mantra that the singer uses to reflect on their situation and to ultimately move on from it.
Overall, the song has a sense of resignation and acceptance as the singer acknowledges the end of a relationship and moves on. It is a poignant reminder that sometimes, even the most seemingly perfect relationships can come to an end due to betrayal.
Line by Line Meaning
Didn't work out, did it?
The relationship between you and me did not succeed.
You'll have to admit it
You cannot deny the fact that things did not work out.
It wasn't so easy, was it?
The process of being together was difficult and challenging.
You thought love had made me blind
You believed that my love for you had made me oblivious to your actions.
You could do just as you please
You acted without any regard for my feelings or needs.
But just like a great big ol' neon sign
Your behavior was obvious and impossible to ignore just like a large neon sign.
I could see you were cheatin' on me
I knew that you were being unfaithful to me.
So go on and do what you want to
You can continue to act freely and without concern for me.
This time I'm ready for anything
I am prepared for whatever comes next.
Well, I don't care much what you do
I am indifferent to your actions.
I'm gonna go on and laugh and sing
I will move forward happily and confidently without you.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jerry Swanson
one of my favorite Don Gibson songs,I was stationed at Cross City FL.when I first heard this late '59 early '60. Definitely remember the circumstances that drove me to almost wear the record out on the Juke box,sad but good memories.
M1u2s3i4c
I am listening to this video over and over again on a one-song playlist then get the SME flag.
Jarski J.
Also requested by me:) Thanks!
Jouni-Pekka Uitto
Here's the original one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBrIJS9Um8s&t=42s
TheDutchie6661
Thanx. Never heard it before. Great version too.