They began writing and recording their own music in 1956, and their first hit song came in 1957, with "Bye Bye Love", written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The song hit No. 1 in the spring of 1957, and additional hits would follow through 1958, many of them written by the Bryants, including "Wake Up Little Susie", "All I Have to Do Is Dream", and "Problems". In 1960, they signed with the major label Warner Bros. Records and recorded "Cathy's Clown", written by the brothers themselves, which was their biggest selling single. The brothers enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1961, and their output dropped off, though additional hit singles continued through 1962, with "That's Old Fashioned (That's the Way Love Should Be)" being their last top-10 hit.
Long-simmering disputes with Wesley Rose, the CEO of Acuff-Rose Music, which managed the group, a growing drug usage in the 1960s, as well as changing tastes in popular music, led to the group's decline in popularity in its native U.S., though the brothers continued to release hit singles in the U.K. and Canada, and had many highly successful tours throughout the 1960s. In the early 1970s, the brothers began releasing solo recordings, and in 1973 they officially broke up. Starting in 1983, the brothers got back together, and would continue to perform periodically until Phil's death in 2014. Don died seven years later.
The group was highly influential on the music of the generation that followed it. Many of the top acts of the 1960s were heavily influenced by the close-harmony singing and acoustic guitar playing of the Everly Brothers, including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, and Simon & Garfunkel. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked the Everly Brothers No. 1 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class of 1986, and into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Don was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019, earning the organization's first Iconic Riff Award for his distinctive rhythm guitar intro to the Everlys' massive 1957 hit "Wake Up Little Susie".
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Everly_Brothers
Lay lady lay
The Everly Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Whatever colours you have in your mind
I'll show them to you and you'll see them shine
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean
And you're the best thing that he's ever seen
Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Why wait any longer for the world to begin
You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the one you love
When he's standing in front of you
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
I long to see you in the morning light
I long to reach for you in the night
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
The Everly Brothers' song, "Lay Lady Lay" is a love song wherein the singer is expressing their desire for a woman to stay with them. The song has a seductive tempo and tone to it. The use of imagery is quite strong, and the lyrics suggest a certain level of intimacy between the two individuals. The repetition of "lay, lady, lay, lay" indicates a sense of urgency and desire. The big brass bed signifies luxury and comfort that the singer is offering to the lady.
The first verse talks about the singer's willingness to understand the lady's perception and wants. The line "Whatever colours you have in your mind, I'll show them to you and you'll see them shine" conveys that the singer will help the lady see her inner self and bring out her true colours. The verse ends with a repeated plea to the lady to "lay across his big brass bed."
In the next verse, the singer urges the lady to stay with her man for a while longer. This shows the singer's willingness to wait for the lady's love. The line "let me see you make him smile" highlights the love the singer has for the lady and how much they want to keep her happy. The man's clothes being dirty but his hands being clean indicates that he is a hard-working man, and she is with him for the person he is, not for his material wealth.
The last verse talks about not waiting any longer for love to happen. The singer implores the lady to seize the opportunity standing in front of her and love him. The final line is a repeat of the opening line, implying that the singer wants the lady to lay with them and spend the night together.
Line by Line Meaning
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Come and lie down on my bed made of brass, my lady
Whatever colours you have in your mind
I'll show them to you and you'll see them shine
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Whatever images or fantasies are in your mind, I will paint them for you and make them shine so you can relax on my brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Until the break of day, let me see you make him smile
His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean
And you're the best thing that he's ever seen
Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Stay with your man tonight, make him happy and leave in the morning. Though his clothes are dirty, his hands are clean, and he thinks the world of you. So, be with him for a bit longer.
Why wait any longer for the world to begin
You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the one you love
When he's standing in front of you
Why do you have to wait for life to unfold? You can have everything you want, so why wait for the man you love when he is right here in front of you?
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
I long to see you in the morning light
I long to reach for you in the night
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay the night, and let us continue our chemistry in the morning. You're the one I've been waiting for, so come lay down and stay with me here, my lady.
Contributed by Hailey J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tom Henneberry
Sublimely beautiful reading of the Bob Dylan classic. Has there ever been a harmony group like the Everly Brothers?
Torvil Åsulv Støle
@Francisco Balbuena hi!
This is a group from England. 3 men singing acapella.
The best song is:"The banks of the Bann."
Good luck!
Torvil Åsulv Støle
Yes, the Voice Squad!
OtisFan1
I've been crying for hours since learning of Phil's passing. They were my first "favorite artist" and always my favorite duo. As others have commented, they taught a generation how to sing harmony. It took me 50 years to notice that Phil always stayed a little farther from the mike than Don, so his higher harmony part wouldn't overpower Don's melody. Glad that Phil lived to see the unique tribute of an entire album of theirs (1958 folk collection "Songs Our Daddy Taught Us") being covered, cleverly named "Foreverly" by Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones. Phil was pleased with it. Now Phil is harmonizing in heaven with Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, Sam Cook, Otis Redding and so many others we've lost. Prayers to the family.
OtisFan1
Thanks for your reply. What's so nice about replies is that they bring me back to the original YT video, so I listen to my dear Phil and Don again. Oddly, even after the 3 years, I can't play them without tearing up.
Carol Ruel
Me, too. I warned my family years ago that when one of the Everlys died, I would be comatose for months... so, don't disturb me.
philb636
These guys had it all, great singers and harmonies in an era of great music and yes they was great.....
Carol Ruel
"His clothes are dirty, but his hands are clean" ... was there ever such a line? Dylan wrote it, but Don and Phil knew how to deliver it... I so love the sound of these two voices; particularly on this day, when we crave some form of political calm.
Elizabeth Beckman
I too so love the harmony of the Everly Brothers - prescription for a chaotic world, unsettling times.
edro31111
Phil was half of one of the finest melodic duos in music history. May he rest in peace!