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.
The Very Thought of You
Rick Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The little ordinary things that everyone ought to do
I'm living in a kind of daydream I'm happy as a king
And foolish though it may seem to me it's everything
The mere idea of you the longing here for you
You'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you
I see your face on every flower your eyes in stars above
The mere idea of you the longing here for you
You'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you
I see your face on every flower your eyes in strars above
It's just the thought of you, the very thought of you my love
It's just the thought of you the very thought of you my love
In Rick Nelson's song "The Very Thought of You," the singer is describing how the thought of their loved one consumes their mind to the point of distracting them from their daily obligations. The singer is so taken by their partner that they can't help but daydream and feel as happy as a king. The singer is fully aware that these feelings may seem foolish to anyone else, but to them, their partner's mere presence in their mind is everything.
The longing for their loved one is so strong that time seems to slow down until they are near them. They see their partner's face on every flower and their eyes in the stars above. It's clear that this person is truly in love and that their partner has become the center of their world.
Overall, "The Very Thought of You" is a romantic song that beautifully captures the feeling of being so in love that it consumes your every thought and action.
Line by Line Meaning
The very thought of you, and I forget to do
When I think of you, I get so consumed that I forget all the little things that I should be doing.
The little ordinary things that everyone ought to do
These are the routine tasks that are part of everyone's daily life and necessary to complete.
I'm living in a kind of daydream I'm happy as a king
The thought of you has me living in a surreal world, and it makes me feel like royalty because it gives me so much happiness.
And foolish though it may seem to me it's everything
Although it might sound silly to someone else, the thought of you is the most important thing for me, and it means everything.
The mere idea of you the longing here for you
Just the mere imagination of you creates a strong desire in me to have you near me.
You'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you
Time passes too slowly for me when I'm away from you, and I realize it only when I am with you.
I see your face on every flower your eyes in stars above
Your face is so prominent in my mind that I see it on every flower, and your sparkling eyes are like stars in the sky.
It's just the thought of you, the very thought of you my love
All I need is just to have the thought of you in my mind, and that thought is enough for me. The thought of you, my love, is everything for me.
Contributed by Nora H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ronfowlermusic
You're awesome, keep them coming!
missohio83
I always loved the beat to this song! Nice! =)
jesmelric
@ronfowlermusic So glad you enjoyed! I do have more I will be posting :)
F TW
👍
Ray Szymarek
The drummer on this cut is Ritchie Frost. Does any one know where he is? Did he do any other recordings I can still remember him playing good drums with Rick in the prime years. let me know where Ritchie Frost is?? thank you
jesmelric
He was living in New Mexico with Rick's ex wife Kristin Nelson, but she passed in 2018 and I haven't heard any more information about him, but he would be in his 90's if he's still alive.
Ashley Bohnert
I know them all