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.
I Could Have Loved You so Well
Ray Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And as you're walkin' away
It hurts me so
To see you go
Cause I could have loved you so well.
I know he'll just make you blue
His kind can never be true,
In every way
I could have loved you so well.
I would have always been strong
Each time I had to be strong
You could rely
On my shoulder to cry on.
Believe me when I say
There wouldn't be a day
When you would ever be lonely.
All my devotion I'd give
For just as long as I live
I'd make you happy
As you could be.
I could have loved you so well.
I could have loved you so well.
If you had only loved me
The lyrics to Ray Peterson's song I Could Have Loved You So Well are about regret and unrequited love. The singer is watching the person he loves walking away from him, knowing that he cannot do anything to make them stay. He laments that he could have loved them so well, he could have been the one to make them happy and to always be there for them to rely on. He knows that the person they are leaving him for will only make them unhappy and will never be true to them. It hurts him to see them go, knowing that if only they had loved him, he could have given them everything they needed.
The lyrics are powerful in their simplicity, conveying the emotions of heartbreak and missed opportunities. The singer's longing and devotion are clear, making the rejection all the more painful. The repeated refrain of "I could have loved you so well" emphasizes the missed potential and the deep regret that the singer feels. The lyrics are relatable to anyone who has experienced unrequited love or the pain of letting someone go.
Line by Line Meaning
I know I can't make you stay
I realize that I cannot force you to stay with me
And as you're walkin' away
While you are leaving and stepping away from me
It hurts me so
The separation causes me so much pain
To see you go
It is difficult for me to watch you leave
Cause I could have loved you so well.
I have the potential to love you exceptionally, like you have never experienced before.
I know he'll just make you blue
I understand that he will only make you sad and cause heartbreak
His kind can never be true,
Men of his type never possess honest intentions.
But every day
Each passing day
In every way
In every manner possible
I could have loved you so well.
I could have loved you with all my heart and soul.
I would have always been strong
I would have always been a pillar of strength for you
Each time I had to be strong
Every instance when my strength is required
You could rely
You could depend and trust
On my shoulder to cry on.
You could cry on my shoulders and find comfort.
Believe me when I say
I am sincere when I state that
There wouldn't be a day
There would never be a single day
When you would ever be lonely.
When you would ever feel alone or without support.
All my devotion I'd give
I would offer all my loyalty and commitment
For just as long as I live
Throughout my lifetime
I'd make you happy
I would ensure your happiness
As you could be.
To the maximum extent possible
I could have loved you so well.
I stand by my declaration that my love for you would have been profound and immeasurable.
I could have loved you so well.
Once again, I reiterate that I had the potential to love you passionately if you had returned my feelings.
If you had only loved me
My love and affection could have been reciprocated if you had only loved me.
Contributed by Daniel V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jillstribley4186
This is so beautiful, as are Goodnight my Love, Till Then, and Missing You, such an amazing singer.
@mdice111
Ray had a four octave voice. Along with Orbison, probably the best in pop music.
@WoodJack99
Amazing how he seamlessly transitions from a rich baritone to a bright tenor. This is definitely my favorite song of Ray’s.
@60sken
Tom this my all time favourite of Rays songs. We had a real struggle to get it via an import from the USA. Well worth it for the pain he injects into the song. GREAT,thank you 😛😛😛
@jimhopper1
Loved this then, love it now. Thanks.
@bloke372
Thank you Tom Smith for downloading and introducing this absolute gem to the world.I always thought that Ray Peterson was totally a underrated singer,but he really showed a true talent with this beauty.
@ashleybohnert250
This good music for this time of my life
@barbaralynard886
Ahhh...my first love...why oh why didn’t he understand😢 I’ll always love you Henry Frizzel. Always
@raincoatriver
A wonderful singer with range! Early Phil Spector production. It's always been a favorite of mine.
@mrob75
OMG, TOM What a BEAUTIFUL record I'd never heard it before That "Ray Peterson" was something else LOVE THIS!