Nelson began his entertainment career in 1949, playing himself in the radio sitcom series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1952, he appeared in his first feature film, Here Come the Nelsons. In 1957, he recorded his first single ("I'm Walkin' b/w "A Teenager's Romance", Verve 10047X4S), debuted as a singer on the television version of the sitcom, and released the No. 1 album titled Ricky. In 1958, Nelson released his first #1 single, "Poor Little Fool", and in 1959 received a Golden Globe nomination for "Most Promising Male Newcomer" after starring in Rio Bravo. A few films followed, and when the television series was cancelled in 1966, Nelson made occasional appearances as a guest star on various television programs. In his twenties, he moved away from the pop music of his youth, and began to perform in a more country rock style. After recording several albums with mostly session musicians, most of which flopped, he formed the Stone Canyon Band in 1969 and experienced a career resurgence, buoyed by the live album In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969 and had a surprise hit with 1972's "Garden Party", which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. His comeback was short-lived, however, as his record label was bought out and folded, and his followup albums were not well promoted by his new label. He continued to perform live and take small television roles through the 1970s, though his label dropped him by the end of the decade. He released two more albums, with unimpressive results, before his death in a plane crash on New Year's Eve, 1985.
Nelson was married once, to Sharon Kristin Harmon, from 1963 until their divorce in 1982. They had four children: actress Tracy Nelson, twin sons and musicians Gunnar and Matthew, and actor Sam.
Nelson was born on May 8, 1940, in Teaneck, New Jersey. He was the second son of entertainment couple Harriet Hilliard Nelson (born Peggy Lou Snyder; July 18, 1909 – October 2, 1994) and Ozzie Nelson (March 20, 1906 – June 3, 1975). His father Ozzie was of half Swedish descent. The Nelsons' older son was actor David Nelson (October 24, 1936 – January 11, 2011).
On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), he officially modified his recording name from "Ricky Nelson" to "Rick Nelson". His childhood nickname proved hard to shake, especially among the generation who had watched him grow up on "Ozzie and Harriet". Even in the 1980s, when Nelson realized his dream of meeting Carl Perkins, Perkins noted that he and "Ricky" were the last of the "rockabilly breed".
In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records. After some early successes with the label, most notably 1964's "For You" (#6), Nelson's chart career came to a dramatic halt in the wake of Beatlemania, The British Invasion, and later the Counterculture era. However, instead of dropping him, Decca kept him on board.
In the mid-1960s, Nelson began to move towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. He was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which would include singers like Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt and bands such as Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when he recorded Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" with the Stone Canyon Band, featuring Randy Meisner, who in 1971 became a founding member of the Eagles, and former Buckaroo steel guitarist Tom Brumley.
Nelson died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1985, flying from Guntersville, Alabama, to Dallas, Texas, for a concert. The plane he was on, a Douglas DC-3, had a history of mechanical problems. All seven passengers, including Blair, died. Only the two pilots survived.
Nelson's funeral took place at the Church of the Hills, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery, on January 6, 1986, and he was privately buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery, in Los Angeles. His estate was bequeathed to his children.
She Belongs To Me
Rick Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's an artist, she don't look back
She's got everything she needs
She's an artist, she don't look back
She can take the dark out of the night time
And paint the daytime black
You may start out standing
You can start out standing
Proud to steal her anything she sees
But you will wind up peeking
Through her keyhole upon your knees
She never stumbles
She's got no place to fall
She never stumbles
She's got no place to fall
She's nobody's child
The law can't touch her at all
Bow down to her on Sunday
Salute her when her birthday comes
Bow down to her on Sunday
Salute her when her birthday comes
For Halloween buy her a trumpet
For Christmas, give her a drum
In Rick Nelson's song "She Belongs To Me," the lyrics describe a woman who is an artist and knows her worth. She doesn't look back and has everything she needs to succeed. The lyrics suggest that she can take any situation, even one as dark as the night time, and turn it into something beautiful. The metaphorical language implies that she has a creative spirit and can find beauty in all things.
The chorus suggests that the woman is powerful and that anyone who tries to steal her away will fail. The lyrics warn that those who try to possess her will end up on their knees, peeking through her keyhole. This imagery conveys that she is in control and cannot be owned or dominated by anyone. The second verse emphasizes her strength and maturity by describing how she never stumbles, and the law cannot touch her.
The final verse suggests that the woman is worthy of admiration and respect. She is someone to be bowed down to on Sundays and congratulated on her birthday. The lyrics also indicate that the woman has a strong musical interest, asking the listener to buy her a trumpet for Halloween and give her a drum for Christmas. Overall, the song celebrates an independent, creative, and powerful woman who stands on her own, comfortable in her artistic worth.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got everything she needs
She is self-sufficient and doesn't rely on anyone but herself
She's an artist, she don't look back
She is focused on her art and doesn't dwell on the past
She can take the dark out of the night time
And paint the daytime black
She has the ability to change her surroundings and create a new reality
You may start out standing
Proud to steal her anything she sees
At first, you may feel confident enough to give her anything she desires
But you will wind up peeking
Through her keyhole upon your knees
Eventually, you will find yourself trying to spy on her and begging for her attention
She never stumbles
She's got no place to fall
She is confident and has nothing to fear
She's nobody's child
The law can't touch her at all
She is free from any constraints and no one can control her
Bow down to her on Sunday
Salute her when her birthday comes
She is an important figure worthy of admiration and respect
For Halloween buy her a trumpet
For Christmas, give her a drum
She is a creative soul and will appreciate musical instruments as gifts
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tracy Pernell
Bob Dylan always says this is the BEST interpretation EVER of one of his songs...
B. Frost
What the heck does he know? ;-) "All Along the Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix takes top honors by far.
Anna L. Vajda
That's quite a compliment then.
Ricky Tyson
@Kase Jayden Yup, I've been using flixzone for months myself :)
Harley Creed
@Kase Jayden yea, I've been watching on flixzone for since december myself =)
Kase Jayden
a trick : you can watch movies on flixzone. Been using it for watching all kinds of movies lately.
Windsong1a
Deserves more recognition than it got.
DG Two
@John Lang it has often been said that others sang Dylan songs better than Dylan. Rick was more than a teen idol, but he didn't get his due credit.
littlewing1958
this was my favorite, I am an artist and of course I thought it was about me at 12
John Lang
How much recognition do you want for a teeny bopper idol type covering a song from the legend of all legends?