Nobody's Child (song)
Encyclopedia
"Nobody's Child" is a song written by Cy Coben
and Mel Foree. It was first recorded by Hank Snow
in 1949 and it became one of his standards, although it did not chart for him. The song has been covered a number of times in the UK; it was on Lonnie Donegan
's first album in 1956 (which went to #2 as an album in the UK), it was covered by Tony Sheridan
and The Beatles
in 1961 in Hamburg, and in 1969 Karen Young
took the song to #6 on the UK charts and used it as the title track on her album. In 1969 Hank Williams Jr. did a version of it that made it to #46 on the US Country charts. The Traveling Wilburys
' 1990 version made it to #44 on the UK charts.
The song lyrics are about an orphan whom no one wants to adopt because he is blind:
I'm nobody's child, I'm nobody's child
Just like a flower I'm growing wild
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smile
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child
version of "Nobody's Child" was the first track on the benefit album Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal
, released on 24 July 1990. Wilbury member George Harrison
had also appeared on the 1961 Beatles/Tony Sheridan version. Other members of the Traveling Wilburys on this track were Bob Dylan
, Jeff Lynne
, and Tom Petty
.
Cy Coben
Cyrus "Cy" Coben was an American songwriter whose hits were recorded by bandleaders, country singers, The Beatles, and even Leonard Nimoy....
and Mel Foree. It was first recorded by Hank Snow
Hank Snow
Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was a Canadian-American country music artist. He charted more than 70 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980...
in 1949 and it became one of his standards, although it did not chart for him. The song has been covered a number of times in the UK; it was on Lonnie Donegan
Lonnie Donegan
Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE was a skiffle musician, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. He is known as the "King of Skiffle" and is often cited as a large influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s...
's first album in 1956 (which went to #2 as an album in the UK), it was covered by Tony Sheridan
Tony Sheridan
Tony Sheridan , is an English rock and roll singer-songwriter and guitarist...
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
in 1961 in Hamburg, and in 1969 Karen Young
Karen Young (British singer)
Karen Young is an English born singer, who had a 1969 hit in the UK Singles Chart with "Nobody's Child" ....
took the song to #6 on the UK charts and used it as the title track on her album. In 1969 Hank Williams Jr. did a version of it that made it to #46 on the US Country charts. The Traveling Wilburys
Traveling Wilburys
The Traveling Wilburys were an English–American supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, accompanied by drummer Jim Keltner...
' 1990 version made it to #44 on the UK charts.
The song lyrics are about an orphan whom no one wants to adopt because he is blind:
I'm nobody's child, I'm nobody's child
Just like a flower I'm growing wild
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smile
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child
Singles
- "Ain't She SweetAin't She SweetAin't She Sweet was an American album featuring four tracks recorded in Hamburg in 1961 by The Beatles featuring Tony Sheridan and cover versions of Beatles and British Invasion-era songs recorded by the Swallows...
" / "Nobody's Child" — released in 1964 by Polydor. - "Sweet Georgia BrownSweet Georgia Brown"Sweet Georgia Brown" is a jazz standard and pop tune written in 1925 by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard and Kenneth Casey .The tune was first recorded on March 19, 1925 by bandleader Ben Bernie, resulting in a five-week No. 1 for Ben Bernie and his Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra...
" / "Nobody's Child" — released in 1964 by AtcoAtco RecordsATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...
.
Albums
- The Beatles' FirstThe Beatles' FirstThe Beatles' First is the first British packaging of the 1962 German album by Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers called My Bonnie. It was recorded in Hamburg in 1961...
— released 4 August 1967 in the UK. - In the Beginning (Circa 1960)In The Beginning (Circa 1960)In the Beginning is the first consolidated American packaging of the 1962 German album by Tony Sheridan, The Beatles, and The Beat Brothers called My Bonnie. In the Beginning was released by Polydor Records in 1970 It was recorded in Hamburg in 1961...
— released 4 May 1970 in the US. - Very TogetherVery TogetherVery Together was the only compilation of The Beatles' early recordings as The Beat Brothers released in Canada, released by Polydor Records—catalogue number 242.008. The cover, which features four candles with one snuffed out was taken, in 1969, as yet another clue in the ongoing "Paul is dead"...
— released October 1969 in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Personnel
- Tony Sheridan — lead vocals
- John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
— rhythm guitar - Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
— bass guitar - George Harrison — lead guitar
- Pete BestPete BestPete Best is a British musician, best known as the original drummer in The Beatles. He was born in the city of Madras, British India...
— drums - Peter Klemt — engineer
Traveling Wilburys release
The Traveling WilburysTraveling Wilburys
The Traveling Wilburys were an English–American supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, accompanied by drummer Jim Keltner...
version of "Nobody's Child" was the first track on the benefit album Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal
Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal
- Notes :* On the included performance, the All-Starr Band consisted of Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Nils Lofgren, Billy Preston, Dr. John, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Jim Keltner, Clarence Clemons, and Zak Starkey....
, released on 24 July 1990. Wilbury member George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
had also appeared on the 1961 Beatles/Tony Sheridan version. Other members of the Traveling Wilburys on this track were Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Jeff Lynne
Jeff Lynne
Jeffrey "Jeff" Lynne is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra and was a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob...
, and Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
.
Cover Versions
- Agnes ChanAgnes ChanAgnes Chan or Agnes Miling Kaneko Chan is a pop singer, a television personality , a Doctor of Education, a professor at Japanese universities, an essayist, a novelist...
on her 1971 album Will The Circle Game Be UnBroken with the local Life Records. - Irene RyderIrene RyderIrene Ryder was a popular Eurasian Hong Kong English pop singer in Hong Kong during the 1960s. In 1966, she attained the unofficial title of Go Go Queen after winning a talent quest.Her first single was "To Sir With Love"...
on her 1971 album Irene Ryder with EMI Regal RecordsRegal RecordingsRegal Recordings is a British record label functioning as an imprint of Parlophone.-Background:Regal Records was a British record label founded in 1914 as a subsidiary of the UK branch of Columbia Records known as Columbia Graphophone Company...
External links
- Ain't She Sweet / Nobody's Child at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...