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.
Gloomy Sunday
Ricky Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dearest the shadows I live with are numberless
Little white flowers will never awaken you
Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you
Angels have no thought of ever returning you
Would they be angry if I thought of joining you?
Gloomy Sunday
Gloomy is Sunday, with shadows I spend it all
My heart and I have decided to end it all
Soon there'll be candles and prayers that are sad I know
Let them not weep let them know that I'm glad to go
Death is no dream for in death I'm caressing you
With the last breath of my soul I'll be blessing you
Gloomy Sunday
Dreaming, I was only dreaming
I wake and I find you asleep in the deep of my heart, here
Darling, I hope that my dream never haunted you
My heart is telling you how much I wanted you
Gloomy Sunday
Ricky Nelson's song Gloomy Sunday is a melancholic tune expressing the singer's deep sorrow and hopelessness. From the first verse, the lyrics suggest a sense of despair as Nelson sings about his hours being "slumberless" and the shadows that he lives with are "numberless." He sings of little white flowers that will never awaken the person he is addressing in the song, as they have been taken away by the "black coach of sorrow." The chorus comes in with the haunting refrain of "Gloomy Sunday," emphasizing the song's sorrowful tone.
The second verse goes deeper into the singer's struggles, revealing that his heart and he have decided to end it all. He predicts that soon there will be candles and prayers, which are usually associated with funerals or mourning. However, he goes on to implore his loved ones not to weep but to know that he is glad to go. The final lines of the verse affirm his love for the person he is addressing, even in death, as he says he will caress them and bless them with the last breath of his soul.
The final verse offers a glimmer of hope as the singer realizes that it was all just a dream. He wakes up to find the person he was dreaming about still with him, and he hopes that they were not haunted by his dream. He openly declares his love for them, solidifying the theme of the song as a lamentation about the loss of love and the pain of death.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunday is gloomy, my hours are slumberless
The sadness of this day fills my restless hours
Dearest the shadows I live with are numberless
The dark emotions that plague me have no end
Little white flowers will never awaken you
Even the beauty of nature cannot revive you from death
Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you
Your final journey lies beyond the reach of misery
Angels have no thought of ever returning you
Divine beings do not contemplate bringing you back to life
Would they be angry if I thought of joining you?
I wonder if they would disapprove of me following you in death
Gloomy Sunday
The despair of this day overwhelms me
Gloomy is Sunday, with shadows I spend it all
I pass this sorrowful day in darkness and loneliness
My heart and I have decided to end it all
I am ready to die, my heart and I have reached this choice
Soon there'll be candles and prayers that are sad I know
I anticipate mourning and sadness at my funeral
Let them not weep let them know that I'm glad to go
I do not want others to grieve, but to understand that I am at peace with my decision to die
Death is no dream for in death I'm caressing you
Death is not an illusion, but a reunion with my departed loved one
With the last breath of my soul I'll be blessing you
I will use my final breath to convey my love to you, one last time
Dreaming, I was only dreaming
I wished for a different reality, but it was only a dream
I wake and I find you asleep in the deep of my heart, here
I am awake, but you remain within my heart forever
Darling, I hope that my dream never haunted you
I hope my longing did not cause you pain
My heart is telling you how much I wanted you
My heart affirms my deep love for you, even in death
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: Laszlo Javor, Rezso Seress, Sam M. Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
burlingtonbill1
One of the wildest unreleased tracks was “Gloomy Sunday,” recorded in November 1958. You talk about a mighty performance. Here’s this eighteen-year-old kid singing this very, very powerful song about suicide.
Imperial Records freaked and said he couldn’t release it. Rick loved it, and he did a great performance, with just him and guitar. Those kinds of songs really suited his voice. It’s hard to imagine it getting any airplay; it sounded like nothing else, not to mention the subject matter.
I’m so glad it came out over forty years later on the Legacy box set in 2000. People should hear it. Rick was much deeper than people thought. -- author Philip Bashe, interviewed on the "examiner.com" website.
Le toubib
Unbelievable for an 18 year old boy! Could become my favorite song, 'cause I'm in such a gloomy mood by now...
Rossella Tornelli
One more reason to love Ricky Nelson and his gorgeous voice
snickerswiggle
Oh, I LOVE this version. And it is only made better by the fact that he didn't add in the bogus "additional" verse that was tacked on to the ending to make the masses happy. THANK YOU for sharing this one!
Parlez64
Clarity and range...simplicity in a beautiful voice.....
patrick ryan
Surprisingly richly textured pathos - excellent job, Rick!
Ziggy saloon
I want this played at my funeral.
Pom Teddy
by FAR the best verson of GS, brilliant
whatadollslife
wow this is a treasure
JUNGLE SURFER
incredible rick is so advanced in his style