Ray Stevens (born Harold Ray Ragsdale, 24th January 1939) is an American country and pop singer-songwriter, best known for a series of irreverent, quirky singles such as "Mississippi Squirrel Revival" and "The Streak". His recording career began with two singles released on Prep Records, followed by a short stint with Capitol Records. Both contracts were made with the help of Atlanta, Georgia music maven Bill Lowery.
Stevens joined Lowery's National Recording Corporation in 1958, where he also was a member of the NRC staff band, playing numerous instruments, arranging, and doing background vocals. When NRC went into bankruptcy, he signed with Mercury Records, and started a series of hit records in the 1960s that included "Ahab the Arab" and "Jeremiah Peabody's Polyunsaturated Quick-Dissolving, Fast-Acting Pleasant-Tasting Green and Purple Pills". The later song held the record as the longest title to hit the Top 40 chart until being surpassed in 1981 by the Stars on 45 Medley, whose official title included the titles of 10 other songs because of copyright requirements.
Stevens became a producer and well-known studio musician on the Nashville scene, and recorded hits for Monument, Barnaby, Warner Brothers, MCA and RCA. Perhaps his most famous hit is "The Streak" (1974), which poked fun at the early-1970s "streaking" fad of running nude in public; this was a No 1 in both the UK and the USA. His novelty song "Bridget the Midget (The Queen of the Blues)" reached No 2 on the UK chart in 1971.
Stevens' biggest hit was his gospel-inflected single "Everything Is Beautiful" (1970). A plea for love and tolerance during turbulent times in the United States, the song shot to Number 1 there. Stevens has won two Grammy Awards: one for "Everything Is Beautiful" and one for the arrangement of his country and western version of the jazz standard "Misty" (1975). He also recorded a version of Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" in the style of a clucking chicken, under the pseudonym Henhouse Five Plus Too. This was a Top 40 hit in the US and UK.
With the popularity of the song "Everything Is Beautiful", Stevens had a variety show on CTV. The Ray Stevens Show appeared in Canada in 1970 and soon appeared in the United States on NBC and the United Kingdom on the BBC. Although it only has eight episodes, it is mostly known for being the show that launched the career of regular cast member Steve Martin.
Ray Stevens was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1991, Stevens opened the Ray Stevens Theater in Branson, Missouri. He performed there regularly until 2006, when he sold the theater.
In 2012, Stevens released The Encyclopedia of Recorded Comedy Music, an 8-CD collection of what Stevens considered the 96 greatest comedy songs of all-time.
In the fall of 2019, Stevens will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Sunday Morning
Ray Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With no way to hold my head
That didn't hurt
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't
Bad so I had one more for dessert
Then I fumbled through my closet
For my clothes
And I shaved my face
And combed my hair
And stumbled down the stairs
To meet the day
I'd smoked my brain the night before
With cigarettes and songs
That I've been pickin'
But I lit my first and watched a small kid
Cussin' at a can that he was kickin
Then I crossed the empty street and
Caught the sunday smell
Of someone fryin chicken
And it took me back to something
That I'd lost somehow
Somewhere along the way
On the sunday morning sidewalk
Wishing lord that I was stoned
Cause there's something in a sunday
That makes a body feel alone
And there's nothing short of dying
Half as lonesome as the sound
On the sleeping city sidewalk
Sunday morning coming down
In the park I saw a daddy
With a laughing little girl
He was swingin
And I stopped beside the Sunday school
And listened to the song
That they were singing
Then I headed back for home
And somewhere far away
A lonely bell was ringing
And it echoed thru the canyon like
The disappearing dreams of yesterday
On the sunday morning sidewalk
Wishing lord that I was stoned
Cause therels something in a sunday
That makes a body feel alone
And there's nothing short of dying
Half as lonesome as the sound
On the sleeping city sidewalk
Sunday morning coming down
Ray Stevens's Sunday Morning is a song about a man who wakes up on a Sunday morning feeling lost and alone. He had drank beer for breakfast and smoked his brain out with cigarettes and songs the previous night. As he fumbled through his closet, he realised he had nothing special to wear, so he put on his cleanest dirty shirt, shaved his face and combed his hair. As he was heading out, he witnessed a small boy cussing at a can that he was kicking. He then crossed the street and caught the smell of someone frying chicken, bringing back memories of something that he had lost along the way.
As he walked on the Sunday morning sidewalk, he wished he was stoned because there’s something about a Sunday that makes a body feel alone. He saw a daddy swinging his laughing little girl in the park and listened to the Sunday school song. He then headed back home, listening to the echoes of a lonely bell ringing far away, like the disappearing dreams of yesterday. The lyrics convey feelings of loneliness, isolation and regret, and the song ends on a melancholic note.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I woke up Sunday morning
The singer wakes up on Sunday morning.
With no way to hold my head
The singer wakes up feeling unwell.
That didn't hurt
The pain the singer's feeling is emotional, not physical.
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't Bad so I had one more for dessert
The artist drinks to numb his emotional pain, which is the reason for his headache.
Then I fumbled through my closet For my clothes
The artist is disorganized, probably from a wild night.
And found my cleanest dirty shirt
The singer's clothes are not clean.
And I shaved my face
The singer tries to look prsentable.
And combed my hair
The artist tries to improve his appearance.
And stumbled down the stairs To meet the day
The artist is still disoriented from drinking the night before.
I'd smoked my brain the night before With cigarettes and songs That I've been pickin'
The artist has a habit of smoking and playing music.
But I lit my first and watched a small kid Cussin' at a can that he was kickin
The singer observes a child cursing at a can, which reminds him of how jaded he's become.
Then I crossed the empty street and Caught the sunday smell Of someone fryin chicken
The artist smells food cooking that reminds him of childhood.
And it took me back to something That I'd lost somehow Somewhere along the way
The smell of cooking food triggers a sense of nostalgia in the singer.
On the sunday morning sidewalk Wishing lord that I was stoned Cause there's something in a sunday That makes a body feel alone
The singer feels lonely on Sundays, and wishes he could numb the feeling with drugs.
And there's nothing short of dying Half as lonesome as the sound On the sleeping city sidewalk Sunday morning coming down
The loneliness the singer feels is profound, and is symbolized by the sound of an empty city street.
In the park I saw a daddy With a laughing little girl He was swingin
The artist sees a Father teaching his daughter how to have fun, but he envies their relationship.
And I stopped beside the Sunday school And listened to the song That they were singing
The artist stops to listen to Sunday school songs. This could either be an act of reverence or sarcasm.
Then I headed back for home And somewhere far away A lonely bell was ringing
The singer is returning home but feels a sense of loss.
And it echoed thru the canyon like The disappearing dreams of yesterday
The sound of the bell reminds the singer of how fleeting time is.
On the sunday morning sidewalk Wishing lord that I was stoned Cause therels something in a sunday That makes a body feel alone
The artist feels lonely on Sundays and wishes he could numb the feeling with drugs.
And there's nothing short of dying Half as lonesome as the sound On the sleeping city sidewalk Sunday morning coming down
The artist feels very lonely, and the sound of a city street only amplifies that feeling.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Kris Kristofferson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ripsnortinroy
This song has sound effects in it, unlike Johnny Cash's more spartan version. The second verse, for instance:
And I stopped beside the Sunday school
And listened to the song
That they were singing (background, you hear a choir singing "Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves...
Then I headed back for home
And somewhere far away
A lonely bell was ringing (brief intonation of a bell)
And it echoed through the canyon like
The disappearing dreams of yesterday
@asifsaifullah1990
Well I woke up Sunday mornin', with no way to hold my head that didn't hurt
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad, so I had one more, for dessert
Then I fumbled through my closet, for my clothes and found my cleanest dirty shirt
And I shaved my face and combed my hair and, stumbled down the stairs to meet the day
I'd smoked my brain the night before on, cigarettes and songs that I'd been pickin'
But I lit my first and watched a small kid cussin' at a can, that he was kickin'
Then I crossed the empty street and caught the Sunday smell of someone fryin' chicken
And it took me back to somethin', that I'd lost somehow somewhere along the way
On the Sunday morning sidewalks, wishin' Lord, that I was stoned
'Cause there's something in a Sunday, makes a body feel alone
And there's nothin' short of dyin', half as lonesome as the sound
On the sleepin' city side walks, Sunday mornin' comin' down
In the park I saw a daddy, with a laughing little girl who he was swingin'
And I stopped beside a Sunday school and listened to the song that they were singin'
Then I headed back for home and somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringin'
And it echoed through the canyons like the disappearing dreams of yesterday
On the Sunday morning sidewalks, wishin' Lord, that I was stoned
'Cause there's something in a Sunday, makes a body feel alone
And there's nothin' short of dyin', half as lonesome as the sound
On the sleepin' city side walks, Sunday mornin' comin' down
@hoborock007
I've been a fan of this song for 50 years but l had no idea until today, that Ray Stevens covered it, wow.. this is really impressive...great production..Well done
@jamesspitler1994
Ray recorded before Cash did.
@DaleC1980
Not really a cover. This is the original recording
@borderlord
Very rich ,beautiful production!
@robertreed3775
Been there done that!---Song gives me cold chills! I pray I can help someone along the way!
@vernondoane4865
This version made Kris Kristofferson cry!
@catfishcooler1566
This version is what inspired Cash to cut his iconic version. RESPECT!
@janemashburn9726
This song was not suited to Cash's voice. Sorry Ray is far best.
@patriciawhite2947
Love his version, my favorite of all. I really feel it. It makes me sad some times. The orchestra is phenomenal.
@jesseashford3949
Orchestra? Sounds like an electric organ and a synthesizer.