As a member of the United States Merchant Marine, Husky entertained the troops on his ship in World War 2. After the war, Husky became a DJ in Missouri and Bakersfield, California, where he began using the moniker Terry Preston in order to hide his rural roots. He also recorded " Gone " under the name of Terry Preston and was a semi-hit.. He re-recorded it in later 50's and was a hit.. As a honky tonk singer, Husky signed with Capitol Records in 1953 under the guidance of Cliffie Stone, also the manager for Tennessee Ernie Ford. With Capitol Records, he reverted to his given name. A few singles failed before "A Dear John Letter" with Jean Shepard became a #1 hit. The followup was called "Forgive Me John".
In 1955, Husky had a solo hit with "I Feel Better All Over (More Than Anywhere's Else)"/"Little Tom", and developed Simon Crum as a comic alter ego. As Crum, Husky signed a separate contract with Capitol Records and began releasing records, the biggest of which was 1959's "Country Music is Here to Stay" (No. 2 for three weeks).
In the late 1950s, Husky had a long string of hits, including the #1 "Gone", (he first recorded Gone as Terry Preston in 1952) and he began an acting career on the Kraft TV Theatre program and the film Mr. Rock & Roll. Bob Ferguson's "Wings of a Dove" became his biggest hits, topping the country charts for ten weeks and attaining #12 on the pop charts. Although he didn't have any more number 1's, between 1961 and 1972 he had over two dozen hits with the biggest of which being the Top 5's, "Once" (1967) and "Just For You" (1968). In late 1972, after over 20 years with Capitol Records, Ferlin signed with ABC Records, where he scored several Top 40 hits into 1975 with the biggest of his hits there being the Top 20 "Rosie Cries A Lot" (1973). Ferlin briefly retired in 1977 following heart surgery but resumed touring after that. He remains a popular concert draw, performing at the Grand Ole Opry and elsewhere.
Please Forgive Me
Ferlin Husky Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Forgive me John but I don't love your brother I realize now that you're the only one
Write and tell me dear that you'll still have me if I am blue the awful wrong I've done
I've tried to answer your letter the best that I know how
The way I feel about you honey really doesn't matter now
As you know the boys will be coming home soon
To be with their wives and their mas and pas I'd like to come home
Forgive me John...
You're asking me to do somethin' I can't do
It's hard to explain but can't you see my brother loves you
I reckon as much as I do and he married you
And I could never do him what he done me
But I wish you happiness forever may you make him a true and lovin' wife
There's nothing for me to come home for now
So I'll read your list and live my lonely soldier's life
The song "Forgive Me John" by Ferlin Husky and Jean Shepard is a heartbreaking duet about a love triangle. The lyrics begin with the female perspective, as she pleads for forgiveness from one brother, John, for not returning his love and instead falling for his brother. She asks in the chorus for John to forgive her, despite her feelings for the other brother being unchangeable.
The male perspective, sung by Ferlin Husky, explains that he cannot forgive her. He says that his brother loves her just as much as he does, and that he could never do to his brother what was done to him. He also wishes her happiness in her marriage and that she becomes a "true and loving wife." He decides to live his life as a lonely soldier and read her letters from afar.
Line by Line Meaning
Forgive me John but I don't love your brother I realize now that you're the only one
I'm sorry John, but the truth is that I don't have feelings for your brother. It has become clear to me that you are the one I truly love.
Write and tell me dear that you'll still have me if I am blue the awful wrong I've done
Please respond to me and let me know if you can forgive me for the terrible mistake I've made. Will you still accept me even if I feel regretful and ashamed?
I've tried to answer your letter the best that I know how
I did my best to respond to your letter with honesty and sincerity.
The way I feel about you honey really doesn't matter now
Although my feelings for you are strong, they are irrelevant because of the situation we are in.
As you know the boys will be coming home soon
You are aware that the soldiers are returning home soon.
To be with their wives and their mas and pas I'd like to come home
The soldiers will return to their loved ones, and I too desire to return home.
I'd like to see you as a wife but not as a sister in law
I want to marry you as my wife, but not as my brother's sister-in-law.
You're asking me to do somethin' I can't do
I'm sorry, but I cannot fulfill your request.
It's hard to explain but can't you see my brother loves you
It is difficult for me to explain, but my brother truly loves you.
I reckon as much as I do and he married you
I believe that my brother loves you just as much as I do, and that's why he married you.
And I could never do him what he done me
I could never do to him what he did to me by marrying the one I love.
But I wish you happiness forever may you make him a true and lovin' wife
Although I cannot be with you, I hope that you find happiness and become a devoted and loving wife to my brother.
There's nothing for me to come home for now
There's no reason for me to return home at this time.
So I'll read your list and live my lonely soldier's life
I will read your letter but continue to live my lonely life as a soldier.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind