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.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Gene Pitney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The women folk would hide, they'd hide
When Liberty Valance walked around
The men would step aside
Because the point of a gun
Was the only law that Liberty understood
When it came to shootin' straight and fastHe was mighty good
From out of the East a stranger came
A law book in his hand, a man
The kind of a man the West would need
To tame a troubled land
'Cause the point of a gun
Was the only law that Liberty understood
When it came to shootin' straight and fast
He was mighty good
Many a man would face his gun and many a man would fall
The man who shot Liberty Valance
He shot Liberty Valance
He was the bravest of them all
The love of a girl can make a man
Stay on when he should go, stay on
Just trying to build a peaceful life
Where love is free to grow
But the point of a gun
Was the only law that Liberty understood
When the final showdown came at last
A law book was no good
Alone and afraid she prayed that he'd
Return that fateful night, ah, that night
When nothing she said could keep her man
From going out to fight
From the moment a girl gets to be full grown
The very first thing she learns
When two men go out to face each other
Only one returns
Everyone heard two shots ring out
One shot made Liberty fall
The man who shot Liberty Valance
He shot Liberty Valance
He was the bravest of them all
The man who shot Liberty Valance
He shot Liberty Valance
He was the bravest of them all
"Liberty Valance" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and recorded by Gene Pitney in 1962. The song tells the story of a lawless and violent man, Liberty Valance, who terrorizes a town where the only law is the point of his gun. The women in town hide from him while the men avoid him, but a stranger with a law book arrives in town and offers hope for peace.
The stranger is willing to fight Liberty Valance, but instead of violence, he uses the law to defend the town's citizens. The stranger falls in love with a girl from the town and decides to stay to build a peaceful life. However, when Liberty Valance threatens the town again, the stranger realizes that the only way to stop him is to face him in a showdown, where he shoots Liberty Valance, making him the bravest man in town.
The song speaks to the theme of an individual's struggle against the seemingly insurmountable forces of violence and lawlessness. It also tugs at the heartstrings with a story about love and sacrifice in the face of danger. The song enjoyed great commercial success, reaching number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the UK Singles Chart.
Line by Line Meaning
When Liberty Valance rode to town
Whenever Liberty Valance entered town, people would take precautions to avoid him.
The women folk would hide, they'd hide
Women would hide because they did not want to be harassed or assaulted by Liberty Valance.
When Liberty Valance walked around
Even Liberty Valance's walk could instill fear in people.
The men would step aside
Men would step aside because they did not want to get into any altercation with Liberty Valance.
Because the point of a gun
The only language Liberty Valance spoke was that of violence, and he wielded his gun as a tool of power and control.
Was the only law that Liberty understood
For Liberty Valance, the only law was that of the gun. He did not recognize any other form of authority or rule.
When it came to shootin' straight and fast
When it came to gunfights, Liberty Valance was skilled and quick in his movements.
He was mighty good
Liberty Valance was an expert marksman and was respected (and feared) for his gunfighting abilities.
From out of the East a stranger came
A stranger from the East arrived in town.
A law book in his hand, a man
The stranger was a lawman, and carried a book of law with him.
The kind of a man the West would need
The West was a dangerous and unpredictable place, and needed someone who could uphold the law and maintain peace.
To tame a troubled land
The land was in need of taming, and the lawman was the man to do it.
Many a man would face his gun and many a man would fall
Liberty Valance engaged in violence with many men, and many lost their lives to his gun.
The man who shot Liberty Valance
The stranger shot and killed Liberty Valance.
He shot Liberty Valance
The stranger was the one who fired the fatal shot that took down Liberty Valance.
He was the bravest of them all
The stranger's actions were courageous, as he was facing a man who was feared by many and had taken many lives.
The love of a girl can make a man
Love can inspire a man to be brave and endure difficult situations.
Stay on when he should go, stay on
A man may choose to stay in a dangerous situation to protect the ones he loves.
Just trying to build a peaceful life
The man was simply trying to live his life in peace.
Where love is free to grow
The man wanted to live in a place where love could flourish without fear or interference from violent men like Liberty Valance.
When the final showdown came at last
The inevitable confrontation between the stranger and Liberty Valance finally occurred.
A law book was no good
The book of law could not protect the stranger from Liberty Valance's gun.
Alone and afraid she prayed that he'd
The man's loved one was worried for his safety and prayed for his return.
Return that fateful night, ah, that night
The night of the final showdown was a fateful one, as it would determine the outcome of the conflict between the stranger and Liberty Valance.
When nothing she said could keep her man
Even the pleas of the man's loved one could not dissuade him from facing Liberty Valance.
From going out to fight
The man was committed to fighting Liberty Valance, no matter the cost.
From the moment a girl gets to be full grown
Girls learn early on that life can be unpredictable and violent, especially in a lawless place like the West.
The very first thing she learns
One of the first things a young woman learns is to be on guard and protect herself in a world of danger.
When two men go out to face each other
When two men confront each other, it is likely that one or both will be injured or killed.
Only one returns
In a violent confrontation, only one person will come out alive.
Everyone heard two shots ring out
The final confrontation between the stranger and Liberty Valance was heard by many in the town.
One shot made Liberty fall
The stranger's shot brought Liberty Valance down.
The man who shot Liberty Valance
The stranger was the one who fired the fatal shot that took down Liberty Valance.
He shot Liberty Valance
The stranger was the one who pulled the trigger and killed Liberty Valance.
He was the bravest of them all
The stranger's actions were courageous, as he was facing a man who was feared by many and had taken many lives.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nicam49
Written by Burt Bacharach.... RIP Burt., thanks for all the great tunes.
@robertwaid3579
Really I Didn't know that Until Now. But it's really Not Unusual too Hear that another Unknown or Even Well Known Song Writer will Give another Great Material too work With. Thank You.
@indyglf
Don’t forget Hal David!
@Angie-l5k
Genius
@anniegaffney8378
Thank you❣️ I was about to look that up♥️
@marysteffens4531
IMHO, Gene was a gigantic talent that never received the recognition he deserved.
@jamiehernandez8169
My Grandad played this in the car when taking me to football when I was a little boy. This is our song and I'm now 43, and my Grandad has passed away. But every now and then I play this song and we are back in the car together... x
@gavinwalsh3913
They didnt play this song in the movie what idiots Gav Walsh Cohuna Victoria Australia
@islandon22
And one day, YOU may be that grandfather again...as I am now.
@ENDERTON2000
music connects us all. great memories