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.
Goodnight My Love
Ray Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pleasant dreams and
Sleep tight my love
May tomorrow be sunny and bright,
And bring you closer to me.
Before you go
There's just one thing
Is your love still warm for me,
Or has it grown cold?
If you should awake
In the still of the night
Please have no fear.
For I'll be there
You know I care
Please give your love
To me dear, only.
Goodnight my love
Pleasant dreams and
Sleep tight my love
May tomorrow be sunny and bright
And bring you closer to me.
Before you go
Please remember I need you so
"Goodnight My Love" is a beautiful love song by Ray Peterson. It was released in 1957 and became a hit, charting at #7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song's lyrics convey a sense of love, hope, and longing as the singer bids goodbye to his love interest, hoping that they will dream of each other and be reunited soon.
The first verse of the song expresses the singer's well wishes for his lover before they part ways, hoping that they will have a peaceful night's sleep and wake up to a bright and sunny day. However, there is a hint of uncertainty in his voice, as he wonders if his lover still feels the warmth of their love, or if it has grown cold. In the second verse, he reassures his lover that if she wakes up in the middle of the night, she shouldn't be scared as he will be there for her, and reiterates his love for her.
The chorus repeats the same verses, with a focus on the hope that tomorrow will bring them closer together. The last line of the chorus, "and bring you closer to me," is a reflection of the longing that the singer feels and serves as a reminder to his lover that he needs her.
Overall, "Goodnight My Love" is a song that captures the feelings of love, hope, and longing in a touching way, making it a timeless classic among love ballads.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodnight my love
This is a farewell greeting from the singer to his lover as the night draws near.
Pleasant dreams and
The singer wishes his lover sweet dreams to fill her night.
Sleep tight my love
The singer hopes his lover will have a restful sleep.
May tomorrow be sunny and bright,
The singer hopes the next day will bring a joyful and positive experience for his lover.
And bring you closer to me.
The singer desires to be nearer and more intimate with his lover.
Before you go
The singer has a request for his lover before she leaves.
There's just one thing
The singer only has a single question he needs to ask his lover.
I want to know
The singer has a deep desire to find out the answer to his question.
Is your love still warm for me,
The singer is worried that his lover's love for him may have decreased or disappeared over time.
Or has it grown cold?
The singer wants to know if his worst fear has come true or not.
If you should awake
The singer is concerned that his lover may have trouble sleeping or may wake up during the night.
In the still of the night
The singer is hoping his lover can sleep calmly in the peacefulness of the night.
Please have no fear.
The singer assures his lover that he is there for her and there's nothing to worry about.
For I'll be there
The singer will be her support and protector anytime she needs him.
You know I care
The singer wants his lover to know he cares deeply for her.
Please give your love
The singer is requesting that his lover gives him her love and affection.
To me dear, only.
The singer wants his lover to be his only one and no one else's.
Please remember I need you so
The singer is expressing his dependence on his lover and how important she is to him.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN MARASCALCO, GEORGE MOTOLA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
coyote1944
Thanks to Florida's famous DeeJay Rick Shaw for many wonderful evenings of the best Rock & Roll ever! It was Rick who played this version of Ray Peterson's '60's song every night before signing off...the best version of them all.
Li nda Kambara
I remember Rick Shaw in the 60s I'm from South Florida Such great memories
Evelyn Anderson
Hello
Adrian Robinson
OHYEAH
Diane Courtney
Amen !
Jim Southern
This song was on the radio during my senior year in HS, Torrance, CA. Brings back the memories of KRLA, just after they became a Top 40 station. Always thought that Ray should have had a lot more success than he did. I do love this one!
Greg Keefer
Great version of this classic!
Monte Ice
After his modest success in the late 50s and early 60s, Ray later composed songs and became a regular opening act on the West coast for performers like the Beach Boys before later moving to the outskirts of Nashville.
Lauren Wallace
Beautiful voice, beautiful song*** RIP Ray*
Borbon Family
Lauren Wallace i’