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.
I Need You
Ricky Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't let it go too far
The love of a lifetime
Darling that's what you are
I know I could never
Ever stop loving you
No man is an island
And I need you, honest I do
Keeps growing more and more
The lips of an angel
Never kissed me before
And now that I've found you
I'll be counting on you
To love me forever
'Cause I need you, honest I do
It took an awful lot of looking to find you
Oh, what a time I've been through
'Cause darling it's not very easy
Finding an angel like you
The two of us together hand in hand
We stand at heaven's door
Together forever
I'll be yours evermore
Through all of my lifetime
I'll be counting on you
To love me forever
'Cause I need you, honest I do
The lyrics of Ricky Nelson's song, "I Need You," convey a message of vulnerability and love. The song is a plea to a partner not to leave and expresses deep affection and commitment. The line, "The love of a lifetime, darling that's what you are," reveals the singer's adoration for their partner and how much they value their relationship.
The singer acknowledges that no person can exist in isolation, and they need their partner to survive. The line, "No man is an island, and I need you, honest I do," illustrates the singer's understanding that they cannot face life alone and require the support and love of their partner.
Furthermore, the song's refrain emphasizes the singer's devotion: "To love me forever, 'cause I need you, honest I do." This line explicitly articulates the singer's request for their partner's commitment and everlasting love. The song's ultimate message is that the singer has found their true love and that they need their partner as much as they need air to breathe.
Line by Line Meaning
If you should ever think of leaving me
If you ever consider leaving me
Don't let it go too far
Don't let it escalate or go too long without telling me
The love of a lifetime
Your love is what I've been searching for
Darling that's what you are
You are my darling, the one I love
I know I could never
I am certain that I could never
Ever stop loving you
Stop loving you I could never
No man is an island
No one can live alone without needing someone
And I need you, honest I do
I need you and I'm telling you the truth
Every single day my love for you
My love for you grows each and every day
Keeps growing more and more
It grows more and more, never fading away
The lips of an angel
I've never been kissed by such a heavenly creature as you
Never kissed me before
I've never been kissed the way you kiss me
And now that I've found you
Now that I've found you, my search is over
I'll be counting on you
I'll rely on you
To love me forever
To love me for the rest of our lives
'Cause I need you, honest I do
I honestly need you, I really do
It took an awful lot of looking to find you
It wasn't easy to find someone like you
Oh, what a time I've been through
I went through a lot to find you
'Cause darling it's not very easy
It's not easy to find someone as special as you
Finding an angel like you
Finding someone as perfect as you
The two of us together hand in hand
You and I walking together, hand in hand
We stand at heaven's door
Our love takes us to a heavenly place
Together forever
Together for eternity
I'll be yours evermore
I will always be yours, forever and more
Through all of my lifetime
Through my entire life
I'll be counting on you
I'll rely on you
To love me forever
To love me for the rest of our lives
'Cause I need you, honest I do
I honestly need you, I really do
Contributed by Lucas B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@SitiFatimah-dk2ve
If you should ever think of leaving me
Don't let it go too far
The love of a lifetime
Darling that's what you are
I know I could never
Ever stop loving you
No man is an island
And I need you, honest I do
Every single day my love for you
Keeps growing more and more
The lips of an angel
Never kissed me before
And now that I've found you
I'll be counting on you
To love me forever
'Cause I need you, honest I do
It took an awful lot of looking to find you
Oh, what a time I've been through
'Cause darling it's not very easy
Finding an angel like you
The two of us together hand in hand
We stand at heaven's door
Together forever
I'll be yours evermore
Through all of my lifetime
I'll be counting on you
To love me forever
'Cause I need you, honest I do
@tks6709
sang this beautiful song to my girl friend 35 years ago n now she is my wife with 3 sons n two grandsons.
@davidsonbekker1895
In the year of our LORD June 2020. I have the priviliage to have my grand children staying with me and my wife. Married for 43 years. Thought them to play ghitaar within 2 week during COVID 19. Their best song!!
@queenessy7461
Awwww!Glory be to God
@queenessy7461
@Davidson Bekker more grace
@junevanstaden6010
Fabulous. Beautiful song. Listening lockdown January 2022
@rieswoodhouse4475
So romantic congratulations
@zulkifliidris2880
Beautiful lyrics unlike most of the present day songs. Full of meaning and emotion. Bravo Ricky Nelson.
@caseyjones831
Rio Bravo Ricky Nelson
@isabellelevy-banchereau3271
Merci pour ce partage
J'adore Nicky Nelson et sa merveilleuse voix qui nous transporte
Une douceur magique
Je l'ai malheureusement découvert trop tard et c'est dommage car c'était un immense chanteur malheureusement disparu trop tôt
RIP Nicky Nelson
@karenjalloh4698
Sweet memories. So happy that I found this song. I’ve been searching for years. I had the wrong title. Thirty some years ago, my boyfriend sang it for me. He sang, I Love you, honest I do. Just happy to hear it.