Ray Peterson was born in Denton, Texas. Blessed with a 4-octave singing voice, he idolized the vocal sounds of fellow Texan, Roy Orbison. Peterson moved to Los Angeles, California where he was signed by RCA Victor Records in 1957. He recorded several songs that were minor hits until "The Wonder of You" made it into the Billboard Top Thirty list. The song would later be recorded by Elvis Presley with whom he became close friends.
In 1960 Ray Peterson scored a Top 10 hit with "Tell Laura I Love Her," and followed that success with "Corrina, Corrina, and I Could Have Loved You So Well." By the mid-1960s he had become something of a phenomenon on the west coast of the United States, appearing live in numerous rock concerts with Paul McCartney lookalike, Keith Allison.
His performances at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, produced by Fred Vail, beginning in 1963 helped fuel a revival of "The Wonder of You" as well as launch his new relationship with MGM Records, an alliance that produced two albums, "The Very Best of Ray Peterson" featuring most of the Dunes singles, and "The Other Side of Ray Peterson", which included many of his nightclub songs. He later moved to Nashville, Tennessee and by the 1970s when the hit records stopped coming, Peterson became a Baptist Church minister and occasionally played the oldies music circuit.
Ray Peterson died of cancer in 2005 in Smyrna, Tennessee and was interred in the Roselawn Memorial Gardens cemetery in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Corina Corina
Ray Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I love Corinna, tell the world I do
I pray at night she'd like to love me too
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
I love you so
Oh little darling, where you've been so long?
Oh little darling, where you've been so long?
I ain't had no lovin' since you've been gone
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
I love you so
I left Corinna way across the sea
Oh me, I left Corinna way across the sea
If you see Corinna send her home to me
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
I love you so
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
I love you so
Oh darling, don't you know
I love you so
Darling, don't you know
I love you so
The lyrics to Ray Peterson's song Corina Corina express the love and longing of a man for a woman named Corinna. The repeated refrain "I love you so" reinforces the depth of his feelings, even as he admits that he is unsure if she returns his love. The first stanza of the song is a declaration of his love for Corinna, and a desire for the world to know about it. In the second stanza, he plaintively asks where she has been for so long, and laments the lack of love in his life without her. The third stanza reveals that he left Corinna behind when he traveled across the sea, and he now hopes that if anyone sees her they will send her back to him. The song concludes with a plea for her to understand the depth of his feelings.
The simple and straightforward lyrics of this song belie its impact on popular music. Corina Corina has been covered by numerous artists, including Bob Dylan and Taj Mahal, and has become a classic example of the blues tradition of songs about lost or unrequited love. The song's catchy melody and memorable refrain have made it enduringly popular, while its lyrics continue to resonate with listeners who have experienced the pain of unrequited love. Ultimately, the song conveys a message of hope that love will prevail, even in the face of distance and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
I love Corinna, tell the world I do
I am deeply in love with Corinna and want everyone to know it.
I pray at night she'd like to love me too
I hope that Corinna returns my love and has feelings for me as well.
Oh little darling, where you've been so long?
I have missed Corinna and wonder where she has been all this time.
I ain't had no lovin' since you've been gone
My love for Corinna is so strong that I haven't been able to find happiness or romantic fulfillment without her presence.
I left Corinna way across the sea
I had to leave Corinna and travel across the ocean for some reason.
If you see Corinna send her home to me
I am longing to be reunited with Corinna and would appreciate any help in locating her and returning her to me.
Oh darling, don't you know
I love you so
I want Corinna to understand the depth of my affection for her and how much I care about her.
Contributed by Caroline O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@azjatot5253
The poetics of this song is truly Germanic, meaning hopeless.
Here is a sample of Polish poetry... ..Slavic civilization.
Of the Mimosas, it begins, the AUTUMN.
She is golden, brittle and kind,
It's you, its you're, that girl
Which she to me, on the street, was coming out.
Your letters, smelled, in the vestibule,
When I was coming back, tired, from school.
And on the streets, in light autumn,
Flew, behind me, bright angels.
Mimosas, withering, resemble,
Immortal, yellow, October.
It's you, it's you, that girl,
You used come to, in the evening, the cafe.
From thoughtfulness, from fainting, from drowsiness.
In the park I cried, whispereded, in words.
The youthful moon, through the autumn, from the cloud, shone.
From mimosa, golden, of May.
Ah, gentle, sweet, and of the dreamly.
I fell asleep, with this fading away, this matinee.
in an dreams, im playing, with ex spring,
Like this golden, like this fragrant, a bouquet.
@josefinarebacca5167
"RAY PETERSON-CORINA, CORINA (1960)
I love Corrina, tell the world I do
I love Corrina, tell the world I do
I pray each night she loves me too
Corrina, Corrina, Corrina, Corrina
Corrina, Corrina, I love you so
Oh little darling, where you've been so long?
Oh little darling, where you've been so long
I ain't had no loving since you've been gone
Corrina, Corrina, Corrina, Corrina
Corrina, Corrina, I love you so
I left Corrina way across the sea
I left Corrina way across the sea
If you see Corrina, send her home to me
Corrina, Corrina, Corrina, Corrina
Corrina, Corrina, I love you so
Corrina, Corrina, Corrina, Corrina
Corrina, Corrina, I love you so
Oh darling, don't you know that I love you so?
@shane9747
My wife’s name was Corrine we were married for 70 years. I used to sing this song to her every night after it came out. She died as I was singing it to her. Fond memories
@theresaclarkspencer4450
A.
@theresaclarkspencer4450
My grandpa loved this song, he wanted one of his girls named Corinna, So my daughter , Rina was named Corrina for him, & YES I love it too.
@Tipperary757
You had a true love, many don't. Hoping time has helped heal the loss until you meet again. God bless.
@bojinglesortina
Most beautiful statement of love. An inspiration. Thanks
@nicksonrichard6666
Sorry
@petebarnett6158
I'm 78 and I still can't get enough of this Beautiful Song I was 15 back in 1960 Lots of Beautiful Memories
@corinavixenluna6899
My parents named me after this song. It was their favorite song. And so I named my daughter Corina also. Such a beautiful song. Now it's my baby girls lullaby. She sings it too. She absolutely loves it. Thank you mom&dad I love Corina
@luciamateluna7865
Que lindos recuerdos,cuando era joven.
@SuperCornNut
I was named after this song too