Teen Angel (song)
Encyclopedia
"Teen Angel" is a teenage tragedy song
written by Jean Dinning
(1924-2011) and her husband, Red Surrey, and performed by both Jean's brother, Mark Dinning
, and Alex Murray
in 1959.
"Teen Angel" was released in October 1959. The song was not an instant success, with radio stations in the U.S. banning the song. Despite the reluctance of radio stations, the song continued to climb the charts. In the last week of 1959, the single jumped from #100 to #50 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart. It went on to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
(February 1960
) and number thirty-seven in the UK Singles Chart
(even though it was banned from being played by the BBC
).
is about a girl who is out on a ride with her boyfriend. Their car is stalled on a railroad track when he pulls her to safety. But when she runs back, she gets hit by a train. When they find her body, the narrator's high school class ring is in her hand, apparently the reason that she ran back. The last verse ends with the lyrics: "I'll never kiss your lips again/ They buried you today." The final time in the coda asks the Teen Angel to: "Answer me, Please?"
act Sha Na Na
performed "Teen Angel" at the 1969 Woodstock festival
.
Despite the gloomy subject matter, "Teen Angel" and its two predecessors at the Hot 100's top spot, "El Paso
" by Marty Robbins
and "Running Bear
" by Johnny Preston
, continued a string of pop
tunes in which someone dies tragically.
In 1974, the Canadian band, Wednesday
, released its own version of "Teen Angel" much like it had released its own version of "Last Kiss". But rather than being a remake of the original, the storyline of the 1974 version reverses the role. After losing his girlfriend some time before, the 16-year-old boy loses his life in the same manner as the girl in the 1960 song (and the song in this case is narrated by a group of the boy's friends, rather than an individual).
The song was included in a medley by Steve Goodman
, who performed it along with "Tell Laura I Love Her
" and "Laurie (Strange Things Happen)" in what he referred to as "dead girl songs."
It was also included in a medley by John Sebastian on his ""Cheapo Cheapo Productions" album (1971), though not credited in the sleevenotes.
Teenage tragedy song
The "teenage tragedy song", also known as death rock, "tear jerker" or a "splatter platter", is a style of ballad that was most popular between the late 1950s and early 1960s...
written by Jean Dinning
Jean Dinning
Jean Dinning was an American singer and songwriter, best-known for co-writing, with her then-husband, Red Surrey, the 1959 hit song "Teen Angel", the most popular version of which was sung by her brother Mark Dinning....
(1924-2011) and her husband, Red Surrey, and performed by both Jean's brother, Mark Dinning
Mark Dinning
Max Edward Dinning was an American pop music singer. In February 1960, the song "Teen Angel", written by his sister Jean and her husband Red Surrey, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Charts...
, and Alex Murray
Alex Wharton
Alex Wharton , later also known as Alex Murray, was part of the singing duo the Most Brothers with Mickie Most, and later, co-manager and producer of the band, Moody Blues.-Singing and acting career:...
in 1959.
"Teen Angel" was released in October 1959. The song was not an instant success, with radio stations in the U.S. banning the song. Despite the reluctance of radio stations, the song continued to climb the charts. In the last week of 1959, the single jumped from #100 to #50 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. It went on to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
(February 1960
1960 in music
-Events:*January 14 – Elvis Presley is promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army*February 6 – Songwriter Jesse Belvin dies in an automobile accident in Los Angeles...
) and number thirty-seven in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
(even though it was banned from being played by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
).
Plot
The songSong
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
is about a girl who is out on a ride with her boyfriend. Their car is stalled on a railroad track when he pulls her to safety. But when she runs back, she gets hit by a train. When they find her body, the narrator's high school class ring is in her hand, apparently the reason that she ran back. The last verse ends with the lyrics: "I'll never kiss your lips again/ They buried you today." The final time in the coda asks the Teen Angel to: "Answer me, Please?"
Legacy
American rock and roll revivalRock and roll revival
Rock and Roll Revival was a back-to-basics musical trend of the late 1960s and early 1970s, in a sort-of backlash against the heavier and psychedelic rock sounds then in vogue....
act Sha Na Na
Sha Na Na
Sha Na Na is an American rock and roll group. The name is taken from a part of the long series of nonsense syllables in the doo-wop hit song "Get a Job", originally recorded in 1957 by the Silhouettes....
performed "Teen Angel" at the 1969 Woodstock festival
Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
.
Despite the gloomy subject matter, "Teen Angel" and its two predecessors at the Hot 100's top spot, "El Paso
El Paso (song)
"El Paso" is a country and western ballad written and originally recorded by Marty Robbins, and first released on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959. It was released as a single the following month, and became a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, reaching number...
" by Marty Robbins
Marty Robbins
Martin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
and "Running Bear
Running Bear
"Running Bear" is a song written by J. P. Richardson sung most famously by Johnny Preston in 1959. Preston first sang the song in 1959 with background vocals by Richardson and George Jones, who do the Indian chanting of "UGO UGO" during the three verses, as well as the Indian war cries...
" by Johnny Preston
Johnny Preston
Johnny Preston was an American pop music singer, who was best known for his international number one hit in 1960, "Running Bear".-Life and career:...
, continued a string of pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
tunes in which someone dies tragically.
In 1974, the Canadian band, Wednesday
Wednesday (band)
Wednesday was a pop vocal group from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. They scored a hit single in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974 with their cover of the song "Last Kiss", which peaked at #34. That same year, they were nominated for the Canadian Juno Award for Most Promising Group. The single...
, released its own version of "Teen Angel" much like it had released its own version of "Last Kiss". But rather than being a remake of the original, the storyline of the 1974 version reverses the role. After losing his girlfriend some time before, the 16-year-old boy loses his life in the same manner as the girl in the 1960 song (and the song in this case is narrated by a group of the boy's friends, rather than an individual).
The song was included in a medley by Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman was an American folk music singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. The writer of "City of New Orleans", made popular by Arlo Guthrie, Goodman won two Grammy Awards.-Personal life:...
, who performed it along with "Tell Laura I Love Her
Tell Laura I Love Her
"Tell Laura I Love Her," a teenage tragedy song written by Jeff Barry and Ben Raleigh, was an American Top Ten popular music hit for singer Ray Peterson in 1960 on RCA Victor Records, reaching #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart...
" and "Laurie (Strange Things Happen)" in what he referred to as "dead girl songs."
It was also included in a medley by John Sebastian on his ""Cheapo Cheapo Productions" album (1971), though not credited in the sleevenotes.
In popular culture
- The original Mark DinningMark DinningMax Edward Dinning was an American pop music singer. In February 1960, the song "Teen Angel", written by his sister Jean and her husband Red Surrey, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Charts...
recording is featured in the 1973 film American GraffitiAmerican GraffitiAmerican Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
.