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.
If You Gotta Go Go Now
Ricky Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somethin′ you must see
I wanna be with you girl
If you wanna be with me
But if you gotta go, oh it's alright
If you gotta go, go now
Or else you gotta stay all night
It ain′t that I'm suggestin' you
Should take part in any kind of quiz
It′s just that I ain′t got no watch
And you keep askin' me what time it is
But if you gotta go, oh it′s alright
If you gotta go, go now
Or else you gotta stay all night
I am just a poor boy baby
Tryin' to connect
I certainly don′t want you thinkin'
That I haven′t got any respect
But if you gotta go, oh it's alright
If you gotta go, go now
Or else you gotta stay all night
It ain't that I′m asking anything
That you never did before
It′s just that I'll be sleepin′ soon
And it's too dark for you to find the door
But if you gotta go, oh it′s alright
If you gotta go, go now
Or else you gotta stay all night
But if you gotta go, go now
Or else you gotta stay all night
But if you gotta go, go now
Or else you gotta stay all night
The lyrics of Ricky Nelson's song "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" tell the story of a man trying to convince his lover to stay with him, while also understanding that there may be reasons why she needs to leave. The singer expresses his desire to be with the woman, but also acknowledges that if she needs to go, he won't stand in her way. He assures her that he respects her and isn't asking her to do anything she hasn't done before.
The refrain "If you gotta go, go now, or else you gotta stay all night" underscores the singer's mixed feelings about the situation - he wants her to stay, but won't force her to. The verses are filled with playful language - he jokingly suggests that she must see something, that he has no watch, and that it's too dark for her to find the door.
Overall, the song is a lighthearted take on the compromises people make in relationships. The singer doesn't take himself too seriously, and is willing to let the woman make her own decisions - even if it means she has to leave.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to me baby
Pay attention to what I'm about to say
Somethin' you must see
There's something important you need to realize
I wanna be with you girl
I want to spend time with you
If you wanna be with me
If you feel the same way
But if you gotta go, oh it's alright
If you have to leave, that's okay
If you gotta go, go now
Leave now if you need to
Or else you gotta stay all night
If you don't leave now, you'll have to stay here all night
It ain't that I'm suggestin' you
I'm not telling you what to do
Should take part in any kind of quiz
I'm not asking you to answer any questions
It's just that I ain't got no watch
I don't have a way to tell time
And you keep askin' me what time it is
You keep asking me for the time
I am just a poor boy baby
I don't have a lot of money
Tryin' to connect
I am trying to build a relationship with you
I certainly don't want you thinkin'
I don't want you to believe
That I haven't got any respect
That I don't respect you
It ain't that I'm asking anything
I'm not requesting anything in particular
That you never did before
I'm not asking you to do something you haven't done before
It's just that I'll be sleepin' soon
I'm going to be going to bed soon
And it's too dark for you to find the door
It's too dark for you to leave if you wait too long
But if you gotta go, oh it's alright
It's okay if you have to leave
If you gotta go, go now
Leave now if you need to
Or else you gotta stay all night
If you don't leave now, you'll have to stay here all night
But if you gotta go, go now
If you have to leave, you should do so
Or else you gotta stay all night
If you don't leave now, you'll have to stay here all night
But if you gotta go, go now
If you have to leave, you should do so
Or else you gotta stay all night
If you don't leave now, you'll have to stay here all night
Writer(s): Bob Dylan
Contributed by Hudson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ENS64
Great version ....I like the Liverpool Five's as much tho.
marhot
Close to Flying Burrito Brother's cover ... like the up tempo... Nice cover.