Pitney, a pop rock pioneer, had his greatest success overall in Britain, first travelling there after his first self penned hit in 1961. "I Wanna Love My Life Away" hit #26 on the UK singles chart & just broke into the top 40 in the US.
His early music recorded for the "musicor" label was romantic, lonely and dramatic, fitting in alongside contemporaries like Buddy Holly, Neil Sedaka, Roy Orbison & serves as an audio time capsule of a more innocent time.
Gene Pitney - Yesterday's Hero...
Gene was a Brill Building songwriter who even before his singing career took off, had written one of Ricky Nelson's biggest hits "Hello Mary Lou". He had been helped out initially in his career by Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and later recorded some of their songs which became big hits like "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and the classic "Only Love Can Break A Heart". At the time his "Only Love..." recording was a #2 chart hit, he had written the number 1 song that week; "He's A Rebel" (A Phil Spector production recorded by The Crystals). All in all Pitney himself recorded 16 top 40 songs in the US from 1961 to 1968.
Gene's biggest popularity was in England, where he used the Rolling Stones publicist Andrew Loog Oldham to get his fame established, which lasted there to the day of his death. In the UK, Gene had 40 top-40 charting hits through 1974. He finally hit #1 in the UK in 1990, performing a duet with Marc Almond of Soft Cell. Pitney died April 5 on tour in 2006. He was found by his tour manager fully clothed on his bed at a Hilton Hotel in Cardiff , shortly after performing a concert.
24 Hours from Tulsa
Gene Pitney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
cause something happened to me while I was driving home
And I'm not the same anymore
[Chorus]
Oh I was only 24 hours from Tulsa
Ah only one day away from your arms
And that is when I saw her
As I pulled in outside of a small motel
She was there and so I walked up to her
Asked where I could get something to eat and she showed me where
[Chorus]
She took me to a cafe I asked her if she would stay
She said okay
[Chorus]
Oh the jukebox started to play
And night time turned into day as we were dancing closely
All of a sudden I lost control as I held her charms
And I caressed her, kissed her
Told her I'd die before I let her out of my arms
[Chorus]
I hate to do this to you
But I love somebody new
What can I do
And I can never never never go home again
The lyrics of Gene Pitney's song "24 Hours from Tulsa" narrate the story of a man who falls in love with a woman while on his way home to his beloved. The man had been driving for a long time and had decided to stop at a motel where he met this woman who took him to a cafe, and they dance throughout the night, holding each other tightly. The lyrics are filled with sorrow and regret as the man explains to his beloved that he had found someone new and cannot come home or be with her anymore. The lyrics describe the singer's inner battle with himself as he tries to reconcile his feelings for two different women.
The lyrics to "24 hours from Tulsa" are powerful and emotive, and they convey a sense of longing and sadness that is relatable to many listeners. It is a classic love song that tells a timeless story of love, loss, and redemption. As the singer chronicles his journey, he takes the audience on an emotional roller-coaster ride, and by the time the song ends, they feel a deep connection with the singer's pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Dearest darling I had to write to say that I won't be home anymore
I am writing this letter to inform you that I won't be coming home
cause something happened to me while I was driving home
I encountered an incident while driving
And I'm not the same anymore
That incident changed me in some way
Oh I was only 24 hours from Tulsa
I was just a day away from Tulsa
Ah only one day away from your arms
I was so close to coming back to you
I saw a welcoming light and stopped to rest for the night
I stopped at a motel to take some rest
And that is when I saw her
That's when I saw the girl who changed everything
As I pulled in outside of a small motel
I parked my car outside a motel
She was there and so I walked up to her
I approached her as she was standing there
Asked where I could get something to eat and she showed me where
I asked her about a place to eat and she guided me there
She took me to a cafe I asked her if she would stay
She took me to a cafe where I asked her to stay with me
She said okay
She agreed to stay with me
Oh the jukebox started to play
The jukebox started playing some music
And night time turned into day as we were dancing closely
We were dancing so passionately that even night turned into day
All of a sudden I lost control as I held her charms
I got overwhelmed as I held her close
And I caressed her, kissed her
I hugged, caressed, and kissed her in that moment
Told her I'd die before I let her out of my arms
I expressed my strong feelings for her and vowed to never let go
I hate to do this to you
I regret doing this to you
But I love somebody new
I fell in love with someone else
What can I do
I don't know what to do
And I can never never never go home again
I can never return back to you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HAL DAVID, BURT BACHARACH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ricparks7441
I'm 79 years old and this song, "Mecca", "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence", "Only Love can Break a Heart" and others of his have been my favorites for something like 60 years now. His voice had a very special quality to it and his songs always related a message that people could feel and relate to. God Bless him.
@CeesVitamine
At this moment not even 1 artiest can compare to this quality and songwriter
@li-german4139
i am 69 and i think the same as you - it is great music - I am from Germany
@user-nj1qu1cs7s
I'm 74 and lucky to be here I died on the operating table last year but they brought me back many thanks to the people who stuck with it so I'm still her in her arms after 52 years.
@CeesVitamine
Mecca, with the new schottisch woke law, he would be in jail for adultery. Fucking great song lyrics&sound would make mo the pedo false profet think twice . Funny thing mo was a mix and the camel was his best friend. He was left behind and that why he had those attacks & deliriums. Whats now called epilepsie.
@josephhooks2387
In August of 1967 I saw this artist in concert in my hometown of Va. Beach, Va. at the VA. Beach Dome. That was a small venue where they had 2,000 chairs all lined from side to side starting not far from the stage going to the back of the Dome. Giant fans were at the back of the Dome to blow the hot air around as there was no A/C. It was hot in there but nobody cared. What a performer! A hand pulled the curtain to one side at the left side of the stage and Pitney came out in a black suit, white shirt and a black tie. He had a 10 piece band in back of him. Hundreds rushed the stage with their flash cameras. He sounded exactly like his records. Now those were the days when concerts were worth going to. It was worth every minute!
@user-sk9tg5wb6p
I moved to Va. Beach area in July of '75 and the Dome was still there. Gone now of course. Never saw a concert there. Heard of many great people performed there...
@josephhooks2387
Before Gene Pitney performed, there were 3 acts before him. It was an amazing show. One of the acts on stage was The Easybeats from England. I don't think many people remember them. Their only hit record was "Friday on my mind". Yes, they had Beatle haircuts. They were good!
@user-sk9tg5wb6p
Loved Friday on my mind... I was 16 then.
@opencurtin
Gene Pitney and Roy Orbison two of my favourite voices from this era .