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
Sticks and Stones
The Everly Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why won't they let us be
Bricks and stones may break my bones
but talk don't bother me
People talkin' tryin' to break us up
When they know that I love you so
So I don't care what the people may say
I've been abused
(I've been abused)
In my heart
(my heart's been torn)
I've been accused
(I've been accused)
I've been 'buked
(I've been 'buked and I've been stung)
People talkin' tryin' to break us up, yeah
Scandlizin' my name
They'll say anything just to make me feel bad
Yes anything to make me shame
(bridge)
I've been abused
(I've been abused)
In my heart
(my heart's been torn)
I've been accused
(I've been accused)
I've been 'buked
(I've been 'buked and I've been stung)
People talkin' tryin' to break us, yup
And they scandlizin' my name
They'll say anything just to make me feel bad
Yes anything to make me shame
Yes I know
(oh, yes I know)
Yes I know it
(oh, yes I know)
And you know it, too
(oh, yes I know)
Don't you know it, too
(oh, yes I know)
Ohhhhh, don't you know it too
The Everly Brothers’ song “Sticks and Stones” is a powerful declaration of love despite the outside forces that are trying to tear the couple apart. The song's opening lines, “People talkin’ tryin’ to break us up, why won’t they let us be,” perfectly encapsulates the frustration and confusion felt by the couple who have found love but are unsure of who or what is trying to divide them. However, the lyrics also contain a strong message of resilience, as the couple declare that they will not let the rumors and malicious gossip ruin their relationship: “Bricks and stones may break my bones, but talk don’t bother me.”
The middle section of the song adds more depth to the lyrics, with the singer acknowledging the emotional toll that the gossip and rumors have had on them. The lines “I’ve been abused, in my heart, I’ve been accused, I’ve been ‘buked and I’ve been stung,” suggest that the rumors have caused the singer pain and heartache. However, despite this, the couple remains committed to each other, and the final section of the song reinforces this message of love and commitment.
Overall, “Sticks and Stones” is a poignant ode to the strength of love in the face of adversity. The lyrics convey a deep sense of frustration and heartache, but also speak powerfully to the enduring bonds of love that can overcome even the strongest of obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
People talkin' tryin' to break us up
Gossipers are trying to ruin our relationship
Why won't they let us be
Why can't they just leave us alone
Bricks and stones may break my bones but talk don't bother me
Physical pain hurts, but verbal abuse is easily ignored
When they know that I love you so
Despite knowing my love for you, people still try to interfere
I'll never never let you go
I will always stand by your side
I've been abused (I've been abused) In my heart (my heart's been torn) I've been accused (I've been accused) I've been 'buked (I've been 'buked and I've been stung)
The gossip has hurt me emotionally
Scandlizin' my name
Spreading scandalous rumors about me
Yes anything to make me shame
They will use any means to embarrass me
I've been abused (I've been abused) In my heart (my heart's been torn) I've been accused (I've been accused) I've been 'buked (I've been 'buked and I've been stung)
The rumors have caused emotional pain for me
And they scandlizin' my name
They continue to spread false rumors about me
Yes I know (oh, yes I know) Yes I know it (oh, yes I know) And you know it, too (oh, yes I know) Don't you know it, too (oh, yes I know) Ohhhhh, don't you know it too
We both know the truth, regardless of what others say
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: TITUS TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind