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.
Somewhere in the Country
Gene Pitney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody seems to care
Isn't it funny now that she needs someone
There's nobody there
Mum and Dad have it all arranged
She's leaving on the morning train
For Aunt Nora's house (so sad)
The morning paper social page
Declined to take a stand
On Aunt Nora's house
Somewhere in the Country
She was a quiet girl
I really didn't know her that well
She was a friendly girl
I heard that but I'm not one to tell
Such a shame, who's to blame?
It's so sad
Doesn't Daddy care at all?
Can he hear baby cry?
At Aunt Nora's house
Somewhere in the Country
She was an only child
But it was always hits they gave
She was a lonely child
But love was all the poor girl craved
Such a shame, who's to blame?
It's so sad (sad)
Somewhere in the Country
It's so sad (sad)
Somewhere in the Country
(So sad) Nobody's child
Somewhere in the country
[Repeat and Fade]
The melancholic and haunting lyrics of Gene Pitney's song "Somewhere in the Country" tells the story of an abandoned girl who no longer has a family to care for her. The lyrics are full of despair and loneliness, as it portrays how nobody seems to care about this girl who is "nobody's child." The first verse shows how the girl is left alone when she needs someone to care for her. There is a sense of irony in the lyrics, as everyone seemed not to care about the girl before, but now that she needs someone, there is nobody there to help her.
In the second verse, it's revealed that the girl is being sent away to Aunt Nora's house somewhere in the country. No one knows where exactly the house is, but it's somewhere distant and remote. The lyrics suggest that nobody cares about the girl, with even the morning paper decline to take a stand on Aunt Nora's house in the country. It's clear that the girl was alone and isolated before being sent away, as she was a quiet and lonely child who craved love.
Overall, the song is a sad commentary on how society often overlooks and abandons those who need help the most. The story of this "nobody's child" is a reminder to us all to care more about those who are vulnerable and alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody wants her she's nobody's child
The girl is unwanted and has no family.
Nobody seems to care
No one is concerned about the girl's situation.
Isn't it funny now that she needs someone
Despite being ignored before, now that the girl needs someone, no one is there.
There's nobody there
No one is there to help the girl.
Mum and Dad have it all arranged
The girl's parents have already made plans for her.
She's leaving on the morning train
The girl is leaving in the morning.
For Aunt Nora's house (so sad)
The girl is going to live with Aunt Nora, which is a sad situation.
The morning paper social page
The newspaper's social section.
Declined to take a stand
The newspaper didn't take any position on the situation.
On Aunt Nora's house
The newspaper didn't report on Aunt Nora's house.
Somewhere in the Country
The girl is going to live somewhere in the country.
She was a quiet girl
The girl was a reserved person.
I really didn't know her that well
The singer didn't have a close relationship with the girl.
She was a friendly girl
Despite being quiet, the girl was friendly.
I heard that but I'm not one to tell
The singer heard that the girl was friendly but didn't feel comfortable sharing that information.
Such a shame, who's to blame?
The situation is unfortunate, and it's unclear who is responsible.
It's so sad
The situation is very depressing.
Doesn't Daddy care at all?
The singer questions whether the father cares about the girl's situation.
Can he hear baby cry?
The singer wonders if the father is aware of the girl's distress.
She was an only child
The girl had no siblings.
But it was always hits they gave
Despite being an only child, the girl was mistreated by her parents.
She was a lonely child
The girl was lonely due to the lack of affection from her parents.
But love was all the poor girl craved
Despite the neglect, the girl only desired to be loved.
Somewhere in the Country
The girl is still living somewhere in the country.
It's so sad (sad)
The situation is still very depressing.
(So sad) Nobody's child
The girl is still an unwanted child.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGE TOBIN, JOHNNY HENDRY CYMBAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@themajesticmagnificent386
A great song from a great man..There was only one Gene Pitney..
@horsttrettin3459
I was 18 years old in 1968 and i love this Song ! The "BEATCLUB" was a great broadcast !
@annewilson4404
God bless Gene fantastic singer never missed a note what a voice so missed by many especially me RIP Gene
@h.d.p
Das war noch Musik. ❤ Gänsehaut pur...❤
@jennyholmes1633
Love this song heard it so many times no one could match genes voice only one gene Pitney ❤️❤️❤️👏👏👏
@jenniferkay4038
Gene's songs always told a story, how we miss him. But wonderful memories on YouTube, for which I'm so grateful thank youxxx
@liza8423
He had a unique voice! RIP ⚘️
@jenniferkay4038
Adding to my previous comment, it's one of the saddest songs I've ever heard and very brave of Gene to take it on - I know of no other singer who could have done it, and so tenderly. Special man heart and soul, thank you.
@fayepettersen
Beautiful song 🎵 beautifully sung our Gene Pitney ❤ 💙 ♥ 😍 💖 💕
@jennyholmes1633
Can’t stop listening to gene brilliant singer❤️❤️❤️👏👏👏