Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an Ameri… Read Full Bio ↴Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1957, he began a long and successful career as a popular recording artist. The expression "teen idol" was first coined to describe Nelson, and his fame as both a recording artist and television star also led to a motion picture role co-starring alongside John Wayne, Dean Martin and Angie Dickinson in Howard Hawks's western feature film Rio Bravo (1959). He placed 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, and its predecessors, between 1957 and 1973, including "Poor Little Fool" in 1958, which was the first number one song on Billboard magazine's then-newly created Hot 100 chart. He recorded 19 additional top ten hits and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987. In 1996 Nelson was ranked No. 49 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

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.

Don't Leave Me
Ricky Nelson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you came along, oh, happy was I
When you went away, I thought I would die
Oh baby, don't leave me this way
(Oh baby)

You know how much I need your touch
Baby, I love you a little too much
Oh baby, don't leave me this way

(Oh baby)

I thought you said our love was true
That you love me and I love you
But now you're gone and I am blue
Oh, what am I gonna do

I just can't see why you wanted to go
You knew all along it would hurt me so
Oh baby, don't leave me this way
(Oh baby)

I thought you said our love was true
That you love me and I love you
But now you're gone and I am blue
Oh, what am I gonna do

I just can't see why you wanted to go
You knew all along it would hurt me so
Oh baby, don't leave me this way
(Oh baby)

Oh baby, don't leave me this way
(Oh baby)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ricky Nelson's song Don’t Leave Me express the singer's longing and desperation for the person he loves. The opening lines of the song set the stage for the narrative that follows, highlighting the point that the singer was happy when the person came into his life and is now miserable ever since they left.

The chorus repeats the plea of the singer for the person not to leave. He emphasizes how much he needs the person and loves them, perhaps a little too much. The singer's desperation is palpable as he reiterates his plea, hoping that the person will come back to him.

The middle section of the lyrics laments the betrayal of trust by the person who left him. The singer had trusted them and believed that their love for each other was genuine, but they still walked away, leaving him alone and blue. He ponders in sadness what he's going to do since the person he loves is gone.

In summary, the song speaks of heartbrokenness and the desperate need to hold on to love. The lyrics convey the singer's emotions with a straightforward narrative that is indicative of the pain of losing someone you love.

Line by Line Meaning

When you came along, oh, happy was I
I was very happy when you came into my life.

When you went away, I thought I would die
When you left, I felt like I couldn't go on without you.

You know how much I need your touch
I really need your physical affection.

Baby, I love you a little too much
I love you more than is reasonable or healthy.

I thought you said our love was true
I believed that you were committed to our relationship.

That you love me and I love you
We both have strong feelings for each other.

But now you're gone and I am blue
You have left me and I am sad and depressed.

Oh, what am I gonna do
I don't know how to deal with this situation.

I just can't see why you wanted to go
I don't understand why you chose to leave.

You knew all along it would hurt me so
You were aware that your departure would cause me emotional pain.

Oh baby, don't leave me this way
Please don't leave me in this sad state.