West of the Wall
Encyclopedia
"West of the Wall" is a 1962 song written by Wayne Shanklin
, which was recorded as a single by his wife Toni Fisher
. The song tells of the sadness of lovers separated by the Berlin Wall
which divided Germany
into East and West
at the time, and expresses the hope that the wall will soon fall. The Berlin Wall had been constructed in 1961, and in fact did not fall until 1989. The song was a Top 40 hit for Toni Fisher in the United States
, where it reached #37 on the Billboard Hot 100
in July 1962. It was issued on the Bigtop label. It enjoyed greater success in Australia
, where it reached #1 on the Australian chart for two weeks beginning 21 July.
Fisher's last single for Signet, "You Never Told Me" had "Toot Toot Amore" on the B side, which was the same melody and arrangement as "West of the Wall" with different lyrics (recorded and issued in 1961).
Wayne Shanklin
Wayne Shanklin was an American music performer, composer, arranger, and producer....
, which was recorded as a single by his wife Toni Fisher
Toni Fisher
Toni Fisher was an American pop singer. She was known for her recordings of "The Big Hurt", "West of the Wall", "Maybe ," and "Why Can't The Dark Leave Me Alone".-Biography:...
. The song tells of the sadness of lovers separated by the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
which divided Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
into East and West
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
at the time, and expresses the hope that the wall will soon fall. The Berlin Wall had been constructed in 1961, and in fact did not fall until 1989. The song was a Top 40 hit for Toni Fisher in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it reached #37 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...
in July 1962. It was issued on the Bigtop label. It enjoyed greater success in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where it reached #1 on the Australian chart for two weeks beginning 21 July.
Fisher's last single for Signet, "You Never Told Me" had "Toot Toot Amore" on the B side, which was the same melody and arrangement as "West of the Wall" with different lyrics (recorded and issued in 1961).