Overall, there have been 29 single releases throughout the years with 26 of them charting in the top 20 or better. Eight of those 26 have reached the coveted No.1 spot on the national country charts.
His first release, “Back Side of thirty” went nowhere fast. Three more singles also met with a minimum success, although they all charted. But in March of 1978, the label released “Rose Colored Glasses,” a song Conlee wrote, which became a huge hit as well as his signature song. In January of 1979, the label re-released “Back Side of Thirty” which went on to become a No. 1 record, and the hits continued to roll. The John Conlee hit list includes songs such as “Lady Lay Down,” “Before My Time,” “Friday Night Blues,” “Miss Emily’s Picture,” “Busted,” “I Don’t Remember Loving You,” “Common Man,” “I’m Only In It For The Love,” “In My Eyes,” “As Long As I’m Rocking With You,” “Years After You,” “Domestic Life,” “Mama’s Rockin Chair,” “Hit the Ground Runnin,” and “Fellow Travelers.” All of Conlee’s hits have that unmistakable common thread – that unique voice. Conlee has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1981.
Miss Emily's Picture
John Conlee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the wrong side of the bed all night
Clinging to the broken heart Inside my head
Open my eyes and I move my hand
From 'round her pillow to the nightstand
And straighten Miss Emily's picture by my bed
Go to the office; the work's piled up
Cry on my best friend's shoulder down the hall
Feel so lonely, when I close the door
Bite my nails and I walk the floor
And straighten Miss Emily's picture on my wall
Look out my window and what do I see
Nothing but pain looking back at me
All that my future means to me
Is tossing yesterday's love out into the wind
And straighten Miss Emily's picture now and then
I leave my office and I go downtown
to a little bar we all hang around
Laugh drink beer -shoot pool and have a ball
When the laughter stops and the hurt takes hold
Reach in my pocket for my billfold
And show Miss Emily's picture to em' all
I stagger in the house and I slam the door
Scatter my clothes all over the floor
Wishing I could do the same thing in my head
Drink a beer and I eat a bite
And just before I turn out the light
I straighten Miss Emily's picture by my bed
Look out my window and what do I see
Nothing but pain looking back at me
All that my future means to me
Is tossing yesterday's love out into the wind
And straighten Miss Emily's picture now and then
The song "Miss Emily's Picture" by John Conlee is a melancholic portrayal of a man grappling with the aftermath of a failed relationship. The opening verses serve to highlight the singer's distress and feelings of displacement. He wakes up in the morning, filled with a sense of fear, and feels the weight of a broken heart inside his mind. However, his actions reveal him to be an individual perhaps too stuck in the past as he reaches out to straighten a picture of Miss Emily by his bed. These actions suggest that he is still clinging to the memories of his lost love and finds solace in the memory of her.
Throughout the lyrics, the singer continues to struggle with his emotions, seeking relief in his work, his friendships, and his alcohol. Yet, despite his efforts, he cannot escape the pain of his failed relationship. He tries to find refuge in the momentary laughter and enjoyment of life, but his internal struggles continue to weigh him down. The song's recurring phrase, "straighten Miss Emily's picture," reinforces the idea that he cannot let go of the past and serves to intensify his pain.
Overall, John Conlee's song "Miss Emily's Picture" is a poignant exploration of the aftermath of a failed relationship. The lyrics capture the profound sense of emptiness and the overwhelming, debilitating pain that one experiences in the aftermath of a broken relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up in the morning is a state of fright
Every morning he wakes up in a state of fear.
On the wrong side of the bed all night
He had a bad and restless night.
Clinging to the broken heart Inside my head
He is troubled by memories of heartbreak.
Open my eyes and I move my hand
He wakes up and instinctively reaches out for his loved one.
From 'round her pillow to the nightstand
He moves his hand from around his lover's pillow to the nightstand.
And straighten Miss Emily's picture by my bed
He straightens a picture of his former lover, Miss Emily, by his bed.
Go to the office; the work's piled up
He goes to work with a lot of work to do.
pour three fingers bourbon in my coffee cup
He mixes bourbon with his coffee.
Cry on my best friend's shoulder down the hall
He cries to his friend about his problems.
Feel so lonely, when I close the door
He feels alone when he is alone in his room.
Bite my nails and I walk the floor
He paces the floor and bites his nails in anxiety.
And straighten Miss Emily's picture on my wall
He straightens a picture of Miss Emily on his wall, perhaps as a way to hold onto her memory.
Look out my window and what do I see
He looks out the window and sees nothing but sadness.
Nothing but pain looking back at me
He is reminded of his emotional pain.
All that my future means to me
His future seems bleak and meaningless.
Is tossing yesterday's love out into the wind
He feels like he must let go of his past love.
And straighten Miss Emily's picture now and then
He continues to straighten the picture of Miss Emily as a reminder of his past love.
I leave my office and I go downtown
He goes downtown after leaving work.
to a little bar we all hang around
He goes to a bar where he and his friends normally hang out.
Laugh drink beer -shoot pool and have a ball
He and his friends are having fun together.
When the laughter stops and the hurt takes hold
When the fun stops, he is once again reminded of his emotional pain.
Reach in my pocket for my billfold
He reaches into his pocket for his wallet.
And show Miss Emily's picture to em' all
He shows his friends a picture of Miss Emily, perhaps as a way to talk about his past love.
I stagger in the house and I slam the door
He comes home drunk and slams the door.
Scatter my clothes all over the floor
He carelessly throws his clothes on the floor.
Wishing I could do the same thing in my head
He wishes he could throw away his emotional pain as easily as he threw his clothes on the floor.
Drink a beer and I eat a bite
He has a beer and a quick meal.
And just before I turn out the light
Right before he goes to bed, he does something else.
I straighten Miss Emily's picture by my bed
Just before bed, he straightens the picture of Miss Emily once more.
Contributed by Sophia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@wheelmanstan
There's a couple good country channels on here with new stuff. Check out
Music Fog (very creative bands), Live at Billy Bob's Texas, The Texas Music Scene TV.
Nashville pretty much moved to Austin and Stillwater Oklahoma. The Red
Dirt Americana stuff is still carrying the torch.
There's also a channel on here called "real country music albums", and
the guy posts album after album of all the great country singers.
Recently he posted what seems to be 30 Reba albums. Before that there's
about 30 George Jones albums and 30 Merle and Waylon albums. haha it's a
beautiful thing!
@michealashcraft8072
My Wife of 40 years died January 23, 2022, I listened to this song as an OTR Trucker when we Married, along with many other Country songs, she loved this one, all I have now is her memories, and, pictures, I miss you Diana, love you, and, honor your memories. Mike
@erichbowden4035
My deepest apologies to u.
@michaelhenry550
Tossing yesterdays love out into the wind. John Conlee is a great musician. They don't make country like this anymore. We love you john!!!
@skatenbake7876
I don’t know how many times I sat there just pushing replay on this classic. Glad I found john conlee
@edwardshaw1484
My mama told me before she passed at age 81, that she really liked this John Conlee song...Thank you J. Conlee.
@ronneyrendon5045
"Look out my window and what do I see? nothing but pain looking back at me." Best line ever!
@jameskipp1657
That's great but I like "Go in to the office and the works piled up, pour three finger bourbon in my coffee cup"
@phillipgeorge4278
I'm living it. Man does it suck.
@Rj-yr1br
Yeap
@tamaracolbert1435
It is👍