I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" | ||
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| Single by The Davis Sisters (country) | ||
| from the album Memories | ||
| A-side(s) | I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know | |
| B-side(s) | Rockabye Boogie | |
| Released | 1953 | |
| Format | 78 rpm, 45 rpm | |
| Recorded | May 23, 1953 | |
| Genre | country music | |
| Length | mm:ss | |
| Label | RCA Records | |
| Writer(s) | Cecil Null | |
| Producer(s) | Stephen Sholes | |
| Chart positions | ||
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#1 Country |
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I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know was a number one country music single for The Davis Sisters (country) in 1953. The song was the first hit for the duo of Skeeter Davis and Betty Jack Davis and sadly their only one as Betty Jack was killed in an automobile accident the week the record was released.
The song was one of five tracks recorded (including two versions of the "B" side, "Rockabye Boogie") on May 23, 1953. The musicans for the sessions were Chet Atkins, lead guitar; Velma E. Williams Smith, guitar; Jerry Byrd, steel guitar; Ernest "Ernie" Newton, bass; and Hal Smith, fiddle. The session, The Davis Sisters' first in Nashville, Tennessee was recorded at Thomas Productions.
The song tells the story of the ex-girlfriend of a young man warning his smug, ruthless current flame who stole him away that she'll lose him too one day "when his love goes cold." The song is sung completely in duet form by both Skeeter and Betty Jack with the exception of the line "You stole his love from me one day, you didn't care how you hurt me" which is sung by Betty Jack. "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" was a blockbuster hit, the first and only number one country song by a female duet until the rise of The Judds some thirty years later.
"I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" stayed at number one for eight weeks and ranks among the top 100 country hits of alltime according to chart historian Joel Whitburn.
Sonny James scored a modest pop hit with the song in 1960 and Jeanne Pruett had a mid-level charting country single with it in 1972. Many artists have recorded versions of the song on their albums including Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Patti Page, Kitty Wells, and the trio of Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Tammy Wynette. Dylan and Tom Petty performed the song as a duet in their 1980's concert tour.
Skeeter Davis continued to sing the song throughout her career and was told by Elvis Presley that it was his top favorite country records. Roy Acuff frequently requested Davis sing the song at the Grand Ole Opry.
