Only the Lonely

"Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)" is a 1960 song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson.^[1] Recorded by Orbison, it became his first major hit. As an operatic rock ballad, it was a sound unheard of at the time, described by the New York Times as expressing "a clenched, driven urgency".^[1] It is seen as a seminal event in the evolution of Rock and Roll. Released as a 45rpm single by Monument Records in May, 1960, "Only The Lonely" went to No. 2 on the United States Billboard pop music charts in late-July 1960 and to No. 14 on the Billboard R&B charts.^[2] "Only the Lonely" reached Number One in the United Kingdom, a position it achieved on 20 October 1960, staying there for two weeks (out of a total of 24 weeks spent on the UK singles chart from 28 July 1960).^[3]

In 1999, "Only the Lonely" was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it #232 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Cover versions

The song also appears on Orbison's 1962 album, Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits, and his 1989 posthumous album A Black & White Night Live, from the 1988 HBO television special.

In 1969, country singer Sonny James recorded the song and had a Number One hit on the Billboard country music charts.^[4]

The song has also been covered by Chris Isaak, among others.

In popular culture

• Orbison's version of his song has been used in motion pictures, including The Love Letter (1999) and Only the Lonely (1991), which was named after and promoted by the song.^[5]
• Only the Lonely is the title of a book about Roy Orbison by Alan Clayson, published 1989, St. Martin's Press, New York City.
• Only the Lonely – The Roy Orbison Story is a stage musical that toured Europe.
• The song is referenced to extensively in the satirical play Red, White and Tuna. It is looped through every jukebox over most of Act II whenever Arles, a radio DJ, barricades himself inside of the local radio station after he and his fianceé, Bertha, fight and call off their wedding.
• Bruce Springsteen references the song in his 1975 song "Thunder Road", but Orbison's influence ran deeper than just a passing mention. When inducting Orbison into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, Springsteen said, "In '75, when I went into the studio to make Born to Run, I wanted to make a record with words like Bob Dylan that sounded like Phil Spector, but most of all I wanted to sing like Roy Orbison." Springsteen originally intended to begin his album with an alarm clock followed by Orbison's song playing over the radio.^[6]

Succession

References