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.
Princess in Rags
Gene Pitney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a little shack made of timber wood
And her clothes are all hand me downs
From the folks in town who treat her so good
Though she hasn't got a dime
I'm so proud that she's all mine
'Cause to me she's a princess in rags
Now her dad, he's a worn-out man
Prayin' if he can make enough to eat
And her mom cleans for everyone
Till the day is done just to make ends meet
All her wealth is in her charms
And the sweetness of her arms
How I love my poor princess in rags
I know some day I'll find a way
To take her out of this old place
I'll work and slave, scrimp and save
To change her rags to silk and lace
Though it hurts and my body aches
From the pain it takes just to set things right
But for now I must be content
With each moment spent in her arms each night
She's the only girl for me
And some day it's gotta be
Just me and my princess in rags
She's the only girl for me
And some day it's gotta be
Just me and my princess in rags
The song "Princess in Rags" by Gene Pitney tells the story of a girl who lives in poverty but still manages to capture the heart of the singer. The song opens with a description of the girl, who lives in a small hut made of timber and wears hand-me-down clothes from the town. Despite her lack of financial wealth, the singer sees her as a princess in rags, a beautiful and royal figure hidden beneath her humble exterior.
The next verse delves deeper into her family's struggles, with her father barely making enough to eat and her mother working tirelessly to make ends meet. But the singer sees the girl's true value in her charm and the sweetness of her embrace. He dreams of taking her out of her current situation and changing her rags to silk and lace, but for now, he is content with the moments they share in each other's arms.
Overall, "Princess in Rags" is a heartfelt ode to love that transcends socioeconomic status. The singer sees past the girl's poverty and recognizes her true worth as a person, making for a touching and poignant song.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's a girl who lives down the track
I know of a girl who lives on this street
In a little shack made of timber wood
She lives in a small house made of wood
And her clothes are all hand me downs
She has clothes given to her by others
From the folks in town who treat her so good
The townspeople are kind to her and give her clothing
Though she hasn't got a dime
She doesn't have any money
I'm so proud that she's all mine
I am grateful to have her as my own
'Cause to me she's a princess in rags
To me, she is royalty despite her clothing
Now her dad, he's a worn-out man
Her father is exhausted
Prayin' if he can make enough to eat
He hopes to earn enough money to afford food
And her mom cleans for everyone
Her mother works as a cleaner for others
Till the day is done just to make ends meet
She works all day to make enough money to survive
All her wealth is in her charms
Her attractiveness is her only wealth
And the sweetness of her arms
She is kind and caring
How I love my poor princess in rags
I deeply care for her despite her financial status
I know some day I'll find a way
I believe I will find a solution
To take her out of this old place
To help her leave this run-down home
I'll work and slave, scrimp and save
I will work tirelessly and save as much money as possible
To change her rags to silk and lace
To help her have nicer clothes
Though it hurts and my body aches
Even though the effort is difficult and painful
From the pain it takes just to set things right
To make things better for her
But for now I must be content
For now, I am happy with what we have
With each moment spent in her arms each night
I cherish the time we spend together each night
She's the only girl for me
I only have eyes for her
And some day it's gotta be
I believe that one day it will happen
Just me and my princess in rags
The two of us will be together, no matter her financial status.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HELEN MILLER, ROGER ATKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@barbarastewart547
A lovely special voice no one can compare to him I could listen to him all day
@MrVinnie47
He had a unique voice. Closest to his voice was The big O. Wonderful era for music.
@shanenelson-ht3uu
One of our greatest singers of all time. 😊
@Tonithenightowl
Gee I haven't heard this one in ages but I remember it well. I'm a huge Pitney fan and will go to my grave being one. He was and is the best of the best.
@tonithenightowl1836
@robert spence Yes that's true and I think I know why. His stage presence was not dynamic enough to be noticed like Elvis. Also Gene was a ballad singer, not a rock and roll singer. This was fine for the likes of Sinatra or Bennett but music was changing after the British Invasion and a lot of solo artists lost their standing. Bands/Groups were now the big thing. That's when Gene went to the UK and they LOVED him there and in Europe. He was so much more relaxed bc the same pressure wasn't there and his stage presence was much different. I don't know if you've seen any of his European videos but they are on YT and well worth the watch.
I love Elvis' songs and voice but I didn't care to watch him perform. I never had that issue with Gene Pitney. Pitney had range and power like Orbison. Elvis had power but limited vocal range. Few solo artists are blessed with a four octave range. You'll never have to duck with me bc I agree with YOU. lol
@bernardhudson-scott5155
My little brother who passed 29 years loved this song. I think about him when hear it. Nice memories.
@DonnaKoebler-vc1zc
I could listen to Gene Pitney all day. I just love his singing.
@darleneherrington8375
Reminds me of Sunday's as a child listening to my late brother playing his music. How wonderful life was back then.
@grahamcochrane9152
A voice in a million, a true gent !
@onmyown7364
Wow! I'm glad I discovered this man's music!