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
Sing Me Back Home
The Everly Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I stood up to say goodbye, like all the rest
I heard him tell the warden just before he reached my cell
Let my guitar playin' friend do my request
Won't you sing me back home with the songs I used to hear
Make my old memories come alive
Take me away and turn back the years
I recall last Sunday mornin', a choir came off the street
Came in to sing a few old gospel songs
I heard him tell the singers, there's a song my mamma sang
Could I hear it once before you move along
Won't you sing me back home with the songs I used to hear
Make my old memories come alive
Take me away and turn back the years
Won't you sing me back home before I die
The Everly Brothers' song Sing Me Back Home tells the story of an inmate in prison who is about to be executed. As he is led down the hallway to his doom, he asks the warden to let his guitar-playing friend sing him one last request before he dies. The prisoner longs to hear the songs of his past, ones that will bring back old memories and transport him away from his current situation. He asks to be sung back home before he dies.
The lyrics paint a picture of someone who is desperate for a sense of familiarity and comfort in their final moments. He wants to relive his past through the music that he loved and connect with the traditions that reminded him of home. It is a tragic and emotional plea that highlights the power of music and its ability to evoke memories and emotions.
The song touches on a theme that is prevalent in many country and blues songs - the idea of longing for home and connection to one's roots. The lyrics also highlight the importance of music and how it can offer solace and comfort during difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
The warden led a prisoner down the hallway to his doom
A prisoner is being led to his execution by the warden down the hallway.
I stood up to say goodbye, like all the rest
The singer stood up to say goodbye to the prisoner, like everyone else in the hall.
I heard him tell the warden just before he reached my cell
As the prisoner passed by the singer's cell, he spoke to the warden.
Let my guitar playin' friend do my request
The prisoner asked the warden to allow his friend who plays guitar to fulfill his final request.
Won't you sing me back home with the songs I used to hear
The prisoner asks his guitar-playing friend to sing him the songs he used to listen to.
Make my old memories come alive
He wants his old memories to be revived once more.
Take me away and turn back the years
He wishes to be taken away from his current situation and wants to relive the old days.
Won't you sing me back home before I die
He requests his friend to sing him back home before he meets his demise.
I recall last Sunday mornin', a choir came off the street
The artist remembers a choir that came off the street on a Sunday morning.
Came in to sing a few old gospel songs
They came in to sing a few old gospel songs.
I heard him tell the singers, there's a song my mamma sang
The prisoner requested the choir to sing a song that his mother used to sing.
Could I hear it once before you move along
He asked the choir to sing the song once before they left.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MERLE HAGGARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind