Gary Troxel (b. November 28, 1939, Centralia, Washington) and Gretchen Christopher (b. February 29, 1940, Olympia, Washington) were two high school students waiting for Christopher's mother to pick them up after school. They started singing and humming a song together, and liked it enough to ask Christopher's friend and singing partner, Barbara Ellis (b. February 20, 1940, Olympia, Washington), to join them as a trio to perform it.
They performed the song twice at school functions, and their classmates wanted recordings of it so they could learn the song. After six months, they got the track recorded. They sang it a cappella, then dubbed the instrumental accompaniment, consisting only of Latin-styled acoustic guitar and the rhythmic shaking of Troxel's car keys. "Come Softly to Me" was also recorded by Frankie Vaughan and The Kaye Sisters, who had a chart hit in the United Kingdom with the song. The Fleetwoods' version of "Come Softly To Me" can be heard on a portable radio at one point in the 1986 movie, Stand By Me, which was set in Washington state.
Bob Reisdorf, the owner of Dolphin Records (later changed to Dolton Records), was responsible for the changes to the group name and song title. He thought that the title was too risque and not commercial-sounding enough, so he had it changed to "Come Softly to Me". He also thought that the group's original name wasn't commercial-sounding enough. The new name of the group, The Fleetwoods, was based on the telephone exchanges in the areas where the three members lived, Fleetwood2-xxxx and Fleetwood7-xxxx.
The Fleetwoods continued to record into the 1960s, with a number of other successes, although none so big as "Come Softly to Me". Their second hit, "Mr. Blue," was one of the few recordings by a white singing group to make the rhythm & blues chart. The beginning of the end for the group came when Troxel was drafted into the U.S. Navy. Additionally, the British Invasion of the mid 1960s ended the public's taste for sweet, melodic music.
By the late 1970s, Troxel was working in a plywood plant, Ellis was managing a trailer park in Canada, and Christopher was a housewife and modern dance teacher. In 2000, Troxel and his wife Jenifer lost a landmark grandparents' rights case before the Supreme Court of the United States. The court held that under the United States Constitution, non-parents seeking custody or visitation rights of a child against the wishes of the child's parents must prove that the parents are not acting in the best interest of the child in refusing custody or visitation.
Mr. Blue
The Fleetwoods Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The day that I lost you
He lost all his glitter the day you said no
And his silver turned to blue
Like him, I am doubtful
That your love is true
But if you decide to call on me
I'm Mr. Blue
When you say you love me (oh Mr. Blue)
Then prove it by going out on the sly
Proving your love isn't true
Call me Mr. Blue
I'm Mr. Blue
When you say you're sorry (oh Mr. Blue)
Then turn around, heading for the lights of town
Hurtin' me through and through
Call me Mr. Blue
I stay at home at night (I stay at home)
Right by the phone at night (right by the phone)
But you won't call
And I won't hurt my pride
Call me Mr
I won't tell you
While you paint the town (oh Mr. Blue)
A bright red to turn it upside down
I'm painting it too
But I'm painting it blue
Call me Mr. Blue
Call me Mr. Blue
Call me Mr. Blue
The Fleetwoods’ song “Mr. Blue” is a touching ballad about lost love and unrequited affection. The lyrics describe a narrator who is heartbroken and struggling to come to terms with the fact that their love was not reciprocated. The song makes a metaphorical reference to a “guardian star” that lost its “glow” and “glitter” and its gleaming “silver” turned to “blue” the very day the singer’s love interest said no to them. The singer expresses their doubts about the authenticity of their lover’s feelings but leaves the door open for reconciliation by requesting that they “Call me Mr. Blue” if they eventually decide to reach out.
The lyrics then progress into the second verse where the singer further expresses their hurt and frustration. They talk about staying at home at night and always being by the phone, hoping for their lover to call. Unfortunately, they are never called, and their pride remains unbent even though it hurts them terribly. The chorus continues to reiterate the singer’s plea – they want their lover to call them “Mr. Blue” because it is a reminder of their heartache and how much they still love them. They want proof of their lover’s true feelings, whether it is through an act of contrition or by proving that they aren’t seeing anyone else.
Line by Line Meaning
Our guardian star lost all his glow
My guiding light has vanished since you left me
The day that I lost you
My life changed forever when you broke my heart
He lost all his glitter the day you said no
Being rejected by you made everything lose its shine and sparkle
And his silver turned to blue
All that was once valuable and precious now seems worthless and hopeless
Like him, I am doubtful
I am just as uncertain and unsure about the future without you
That your love is true
I question the sincerity and authenticity of your professed love
But if you decide to call on me
If you reconsider and want to talk to me again
Ask for Mr. Blue
You can find me waiting for you, still hurting but hopeful for a second chance
When you say you love me (oh Mr. Blue)
Whenever you claim to have feelings for me
Then prove it by going out on the sly
Show me how untrue your love is by secretly seeing someone else
Proving your love isn't true
Demonstrating that you never really had genuine affection for me
When you say you're sorry (oh Mr. Blue)
When you apologize for hurting me
Then turn around, heading for the lights of town
But then act as if nothing happened and go enjoy yourself
Hurtin' me through and through
Breaking my heart all over again
I stay at home at night (I stay at home)
I spend my evenings alone, missing you
Right by the phone at night (right by the phone)
Sitting by the phone, wishing it would ring, hoping it's you
But you won't call
You never reach out or care to see how I'm doing
And I won't hurt my pride
I won't beg for your attention or affection
I won't tell you
I won't reveal how much your absence hurts me
While you paint the town (oh Mr. Blue)
As you enjoy yourself, making the most of your freedom
A bright red to turn it upside down
Changing the city's energy and atmosphere with your vibrancy
I'm painting it too
I'm trying to distract myself and forget about you by pretending to have fun
But I'm painting it blue
In reality, I'm just adding more sorrow and melancholy to the colorless canvas of my life
Call me Mr. Blue
Address me by my new name that represents my sadness and longing for you
Call me Mr. Blue
Remind me of my identity, the person consumed by heartbreak and nostalgia
Call me Mr. Blue
Let me know that you remember me, even if it's just for a moment
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dewayne Blackwell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@williamkasavitsky4530
Every time I hear this song,my eyes fill with tears. I was just 17 and graduated from high school when this song came out.The melody is so reminiscent of the music of that time.We are only young once, and 1959 was a really special time in my life.
@williamkasavitsky4530
@@daluttt Thank you for your kind reply to my comment.It was a different world back then.You had to be alive then to experience it.Most people then had little money or possessions.All we had was each other.People were more friendly and looked after each other.This is not to say everything was peaches and cream .It was not.It was a real struggle but like I said we had each other to fall back on.Imagine a time with no computers or smart phones.Color TV did not come out until the 1960s.We kids watched black and white TV with only 7 channels available.Cable TV was unheard of.Music was our thing. Rock and Roll came on the scene with stars like Elvis Pressley and Buddy Holly to entertain us.Sports were a big thing also.I went to my High Schools saturday home football game.Every Thanksgiving we played our arch rival from across town before 10000 people.That was a big crowd in those days.After graduating High School many of us found jobs to help our families survive.Those more fortunate went to college and became professionals in whatever field they chose.If there ever was such a thing as a time machine,I would go back just for a short time.I would love to see my mom again if only for a moment.She was all I had at the time.Well this is all I can think of.Enjoy your youth and life.It goes by so quickly.
@albertbarese4170
@@williamkasavitsky4530 Great comment. Thank you for your perspective. As a member of today's youth, it resonates.
@aaronking7326
Hold those memories close. My late Mother used to love this one too
@Massakers
@@williamkasavitsky4530 Nice comment , in these time we dont have each others back at all .. We take everything for granted , family smalls compared to old time .. Well , everything is not perfect .. !
@rockysablue
@@williamkasavitsky4530 what a fantastic comment. Thank-you and kudos to the person asking you too God Bless.
@jenniemcconathy2370
This was the first song my husband & I danced to. We met on a blind date at a beatnick party for my best friends 17th birthday. It was 1959 & we’ve been married for 55 years. Sad song but happy lifetime. Still in love after all these years.
@lookineyes
I'm very flattered for making you remember the beautiful and joyful moments of your life and your heart with this beautiful song.
I wish you a good day from Italy
@thefabulousgreenbean2194
Wow. 55 years. That's a lot of memories. It must be nice to hear this music and think back. And forward <3
@thefabulousgreenbean2194
Anyone here in 2023?