2. I Wonder If I Care As Much (2:13) - The tempo is in 3/4 time and slightly slower than moderate. Fingers snap throughout the song. The night before the setting, the narrator cried himself to sleep after his girlfriend apparently left him. In the morning, as he dries his tears, he wonders if he still cares about her like he used to.
3. Wake Up Little Susie (2:01) - This fast song opens with several guitar licks that depict a need to wake up and face a dire problem. The narrator suddenly realizes that it's 4 A.M., so he wakes Susie to tell her that they must go home at once, for they're about to be in big trouble with her parents for failing to come home at 10 the previous night. They had fallen asleep because the movie they were watching wasn't very exciting.
4. This Little Girl Of Mine (2:15) - This fast song features a piano. The narrator loves his girlfriend because she cheers him up whenever he's sad, she loves him unconditionally, and she's always on time for their dates. He doesn't blame other men for whistling at her, for she looks and dresses beautifully.
5. Brand New Heartache (2:14) - This song has a 12/8 tempo slightly slower than moderate. The narrator's girlfriend in this song is quite a contrast from the previous one. He wonders why he can't trust her, and his heart is breaking. Since a new man recently moved into town, she has shown up late or not at all for her dates with the narrator.
6. Hey Doll Baby (2:05) - This fast song features a tambourine. The narrator asks his girlfriend what she did while he was gone, and how she feels now that he's returned. From Phil's vocal nuances in one line of the bridge ("You walk around here, lookin' so fine") I had heard "here" as "nude" for years, thinking that the girl drove the guy out of his mind by prancing naked around the house (hopefully, with the shades all pulled down)! But now I know that "here" is the correct word, and she drives him insane even when fully clothed.
7. All I Have To Do Is Dream (2:19) - The tempo is moderate. Whenever the narrator feels lonely and needs the girl to hold him and kiss him, he needs only to dream of her doing such things, whether it's daytime or night.
8. Claudette (2:11) - Roy Orbison wrote this song about his wife Claudette, but the Everlys recorded the hit version of the song. Some guitar licks are rapid, and the fast tempo is fitting for a joyful song such as this. The narrator feels very good to have a girl who loves him more than he expected. After they go on a few dates, he'll propose to her; if she says yes, and once they're married, he'll be happy forever.
9. Bird Dog (2:14) - The tempo is fast. After each line in the verses, Don sings "he's a bird," "he's a dog," etc. The "bird dog" is a boy named Johnny who tries to steal the narrator's girlfriend. For instance, he sings love songs and asks the teacher to let him sit next to the girl. In the chorus, the narrator warns Johnny to leave the girl alone and find a girlfriend of his own.
10. Devoted To You (2:22) - This moderately slow song opens and closes with vibrating guitar licks. The narrator promises his girlfriend that he will love her until the world ends. He'll never hurt her, cheat on her, or otherwise give her reason to feel blue.
11. Problems (1:56) - This moderately fast song describes the difficulties of the typical teenager of the late 50s. No matter what he does, his girlfriend, teachers, and parents are displeased. Because of his poor grades, he can't get driving privileges. He attributes his problems to loving his girlfriend the way he does; he believes that if she'll be true to him, his problems will be solved.
12. Love Of My Life (2:04) - The tempo is moderate; it decelerates at the end of the song. This time, the narrator is asking his girlfriend to promise him that SHE will always be true to HIM. Only her lips can satisfy him, and his arms long to encircle her.
13. I'm Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail (3:35) - This moderate, swing-tempoed song lacks drums. It must have been recorded onto the disc from a mono single, for I hear soft crackling sounds that are typical for vinyl records. An old, gray-haired woman, having searched a long time for her son, has found him at last--in jail. Whatever he might have done, she begs the warden to free him; she'd give everything she owns to get him out. The warden opens the cell door; the old lady kisses her son, then falls to the floor and dies.
14. Take A Message To Mary (2:24) - The 13-second intro is slow; the rest of the song has a moderate tempo. A tambourine and finger-snapping are featured. The narrator has been arrested and jailed for murdering someone in a stagecoach. He asks a messenger to tell his fiancee, Mary, that he has sailed to Timbuktu to dig for gold, the wedding is off, and she might as well find a new boyfriend. However, he begs the messenger not to tell Mary about the crime or the jail cell.
15. Poor Jenny (2:08) - The tempo is fast. I like the guitar licks at the beginning, middle, and end. The narrator and his girlfriend, Jenny, were only on their first date when a fight broke out, another party guest made a crank call to the police, and Jenny got arrested. The next morning, the newspapers portrayed her as "the leader of a teenage gang." When the narrator visits her in jail, she tells him to leave. Now her father and brother are out to push him out of town.
16. Till I Kissed You (2:23) - This moderately fast song is the one I like best from this disc. The narrator wonders how he managed to live until he kissed his girlfriend. Now she's on his mind all the time, and he can't live without her.
17. Let It Be Me (2:35) - This moderately slow song features orchestral string instruments. The narrator is glad that he has a girl by his side, and he wonders what life would be without her. So he tells her always to let him be her one true love. I also have a version by Petula Clark and one by Jerry Butler and Betty Everett.
18. Since You Broke My Heart (1:54) - The tempo is moderately fast. The narrator's friends tell him that the blues are passe and crying is childish, but he'll never agree with them. They tell him to play solitaire, "read a book, or study art," but those activities don't help him get over being dumped by his girlfriend.
19. Like Strangers (2:00) - The narrator of this slow song wonders how he and his girlfriend could have drifted apart and become enemies the way they have. He asks that they reconcile, become lovers again, and never become "like strangers' again.
20. When Will I Be Loved (2:02) - The tempo is moderate. Many times the narrator has been deceived, pushed around, rejected, mistreated, you name it! Every time he meets and falls in love with a girl, she always leaves him heartbroken. And of course, he wonders when he'll be loved. Later, this song was also a hit for Linda Ronstadt.
Unlike on the previous album, the songs on this anthology are not arranged in exact chronological order.
1. Cathy's Clown (2:22) - The tempo is moderate. During the verses, a piano and cymbal drums are audible. The narrator no longer wants love or kisses from Cathy; he's through with her. He can no longer stand her cheating on him, nor others calling him a clown.
2. So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) (2:32) - The tempo is slightly slower than moderate. The drums are subdued. The narrator and his girlfriend "used to have good times together," and she used to feel that nothing could change her feelings for him. But now she is leaving him, thus breaking his heart and making him cry. This song was later covered by Emmylou Harris.
3. Walk Right Back (2:17) - This anthology's title song has a moderately fast tempo. It could very well be a sequel to the previous song, for the narrator begs the girl to come back and tell him why she left. He begs her to think how much he loves her and what good times they used to have.
4. Love Hurts (2:20) - This moderately slow song is my favorite Everlys song. And how right they are; love certainly hurt me when I tried it eight times before turning 20. To all other single people, I pass on the advice of this song: love is false, so stay away from it. A later version of this song was a duet between Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris.
5. Sleepless Nights (2:22) - This slow song has no drums except for faint cymbal drums. As the narrator lies awake every night, he wonders who is kissing the girl. Somehow, he manages not to cry during the day, but at night his tears burst from his eyes. He begs her to come back to him.
6. Nashville Blues (2:36) - The narrator of this slow, 12/8 song has just received a letter from his girlfriend in Nashville. She is lonely and wants him back home. He too wants to go back home, so he decides to head back to Nashville at once and tell her he still loves her.
7. Lucille (2:30) - The Everlys' version of a Little Richard hit has a moderate tempo. Instruments include a piano and cymbal drums.
8. What Kind Of Girl Are You (1:54) - The tempo is slow and in 12/8 time. When the duo sing the title, they make "you" sound like "yeeee-ah." Apparently the girl has acted wrong in some way; why else would he ask the title and why he loves her the way he does?
9. Made To Love (2:01) - This fast song has an interesting message. The narrator's father summons him for a serious talk about girls and dating. The older man says that kisses taste as sweet as they do because "girls were made to love." Well, so were boys; love is what has kept humankind alive to this day.
10. Radio And TV (2:11) - The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. The narrator loves to say sweet things to his girlfriend while heroes chase villains on TV and the hottest records play on the radio. He values his girlfriend, his radio, and his TV more than anything else in the world.
11. Stick With Me Baby (1:52) - The tempo is moderate. People say that the relationship between the narrator and the girl is not real, that it can't last very long. But the narrator strongly believes otherwise and encourages his girl to stay with him.
12. Always It's You (2:27) - This slow song was the B-side of "Cathy's Clown." Instruments include chimes. Whenever the narrator feels lonely, whenever he daydreams, he thinks of his girlfriend. In the last verse, he asks her to hold him close and kiss him, for she is his only love, the girl he always thinks of.
13. Temptation (2:11) - This moderately fast song was written in the 1930s. In the Everlys' version, a few women sing behind them. One day, the narrator was alone until the girl came into his life. He should have known she would tempt him; now he can't resist the urge to kiss her.
14. Ebony Eyes (3:04) - This moderately slow, 3/4 song is one of those morbid songs; even the Everlys are reluctant to sing it in concert. The narrator is in the military; to go home to his fiancee and marry her, he'd need more leave than a weekend pass would allow him. So his chaplain lets him summon "Ebony Eyes" (his fiancee) to the city where his barracks are located. Don does an excellent job of narrating what happens next: the narrator waits for hours at the airport for his fiancee's plane to arrive. Then he hears the following announcement: "Would those having relatives or friends aboard Flight #1203, please report to the chapel across the street at once." To him, it means the plane has crashed, and his fiancee is dead. All he can hope for now is that someday he'll go to heaven and be reunited with her.
15. Crying In The Rain (1:57) - This song is moderately slow, too. Now that the narrator's girlfriend has left him, he resolves to wait for rain to fall and then walk in it as he cries. He says that the girl will never know that he still loves her or that he cries in the rain. But he's already telling her--and us!
16. Don't Blame Me (3:23) - This slow, 12/8 song is another 1930s tune covered by the Everlys. The narrator can't help it if he's in love with the girl. Instead, he blames her sweet kiss and other charms.
17. True Love (2:03) - The narrator of this moderately slow, 3/4 song gives true love to his girlfriend, and she gives him the same. They have a "guardian angel" above who does nothing but give them "love forever true."
18. That's Old-Fashioned (That's The Way Love Should Be) (2:20) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, features horns. The narrator and his girlfriend change with the times--except when it comes to love. They do old-fashioned love techniques such as holding hands while watching a movie, carving their initials on their favorite tree, and sitting side-by-side while waiting for the ice-cream cones they buy.
19. Nancy's Minuet (2:03) - The tempo is moderate. Instruments include horns and a harpsichord. The narrator compares himself to a marionette. He calls this dance he does "the Nancy's Minuet" because his girlfriend, Nancy, has him "dancing round and round / Acting just like a clown."
20. I'm Not Angry (1:59) - This song is somewhat faster than moderate. Now that the narrator's girlfriend has left him, he hopes that various bad things will happen to her until she wants to return to him. Even so, the narrator is sad instead of angry. He does, however, resolve to create a spook scene in front of her house.
21. How Can I Meet Her (1:47) - I like this fast song because it features a harmonica. The narrator has fallen in love with "the prettiest girl in town." He wants to know her address, her phone number, and (of course) how he can meet her.
22. Burma Shave (2:26) - A harmonica also plays in this moderately fast song. The narrator describes the various Burma Shave signs he has seen while driving along many roads. The most interesting sign they mention says, "Rose are red, violets are blue / You chase me and I'll get you."
23. Muskrat (2:14) - This song is very fast. Shuffling drums play throughout the song, and someone clanks a pan from the middle instrumental on. The narrator, feeling sick and about to die, talks to several different animals--a muskrat, a groundhog, a tapir, a rooster, and a bobcat.
24. Just One Time (2:16) - A tambourine plays on nearly every second and fourth beat. The fast tempo clashes with the sad mood of the song, but he guys do a good job of sounding lonely. The narrator misses the girl so much that he'd feel better if he could see her again, even if it were only once.
25. Lonely Street (2:19) - The tempo is slow, and the piano plays in 12/8 time. The narrator is looking for one Lonely Street, where people can tell one another their sad stories.
26. Sweet Dreams (2:43) - This song has a moderate swing tempo. In waking life, the girl no longer loves the narrator, yet at night he still dreams of her. He wonders why, instead of having these dreams, he can't forget her and find a new girlfriend.
1. The Price Of Love (2:04) - This moderate-tempoed song features a harmonica and a tambourine. A guy can dance slow or fast with a girl he's fallen in love with. He may be happy now, but soon she will leave him and make him sad. Drinking all the wine and gin in the world won't erase memories of her from his mind. Tears and pain are the price most guys pay for love.
2. Man With Money (2:17) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, features a harpsichord and a tambourine. The narrator is in love with a certain girl, but she's in love with a rich man. The narrator resolves that one night he'll don a mask and burglarize a store so he can rise from poverty to riches and then, hopefully, win the girl's heart. If I were in that man's position, instead of breaking the law, I'd find a new girlfriend who, like me and the Beatles, doesn't believe money can buy love.
3. Love Is Strange (2:48) - This version plays at a similar pace to the original version by Mickey and Sylvia. Instruments include a piano. Shortly after the 1-minute mark, Phil asks Don how the latter would call his girlfriend; Don answers, "If I needed her real bad, I'd call her like this:" And then they sing the verse that begins, "Baby, oh sweet baby."
4. Give Me A Sweetheart (2:09) - This soft song is slightly slower than moderate. A cymbal drum beats on every second and fourth beat. The narrator asks the girl to give him a faithful heart, truthful and smiling lips, blue eyes, a lasting kiss, a tender touch, and--most of all--herself.
5. You're The One I Love (2:01) - The fast tempo and loud volume indicate that the narrator is excited about the girl being the one he loves. He asks her to come to him tenderly and hold him tight.
6. You're My Girl (2:25) - This song has a similar title to the previous one, and also has the same mood of excitement. However, the tempo is slower here than in the previous song. Whenever the narrator thinks of his girlfriend, he admires her eyes, lips, hips, and methods of walking and talking. He wants to tell the world she's his.
7. Kiss Your Man Goodbye (2:33) - The tempo is very fast. The narrator's girlfriend has been doing him wrong; he orders that she kiss goodbye the guy with whom she's been cheating on him.
8. Gone, Gone, Gone (2:02) - This song has a similar tempo to the previous one. In 1964 it was the duo's last hit, thereby making their career all but "gone, gone, gone." Anyway, that's what the narrator will soon be if his girlfriend doesn't stop doing him wrong.
9. Don't Let The Whole World Know (2:09) - This slow, 6/8 song features a piano, a tambourine, and endless drum rolls. The narrator tells the other man to go home rather than tell the world what a fool the second man's girlfriend made of him.
10. Don't Forget To Cry (2:06) - This slow, 12/8 song, like the previous song, features a piano. The narrator's girlfriend used to tell him that she'd cry if they ever parted. Now she is dumping him; as he says goodbye, he reminds her to cry.
11. Nothing Matters But You (2:13) - This moderately slow song features a cello and subdued drums. The narrator is so in love with his girlfriend that he neglects his responsibilities. Every dream he dreams is about her; she's the only thing on his mind in waking life, too.
12. It's All Over (2:18) - This slow song features a harpsichord. Not only is the relationship between the narrator and the girl over; his whole life is. "I just stopped living when you said goodbye," he says.
13. Empty Boxes (2:45) - This sad song has a tempo that is somewhat slow but difficult to follow. The only instrument is a guitar. The narrator is a poor man; empty boxes are all he owns. He sings to a girl named Diana whose heart he wishes he could win.
14. Bowling Green (2:51) - If you were asleep during the previous 5 songs, this one is sure to wake you up. For the first 10 seconds, an oboe plays slowly. Then other instruments, including an organ, enter, and the tempo becomes somewhat faster than moderate. Bowling Green, a city in Kentucky, is home to the prettiest girls and bluegrass the narrator has ever seen. The one thing I don't care for is the singing of "ching."
15. Love Of The Common People (3:24) - Here's another country song with a tempo somewhat faster than moderate. It teaches that a person in poverty can be sustained by love from family and friends and by faith in God. The Everlys released their version in 1967, just a few months after Waylon Jennings released his. I like both versions.
16. (I'd Be) A Legend In My Time (2:45) - This slow, 3/4 song features a piano and cymbal drums. Heartaches and tears don't merit fame, but if they did, the narrator's name would be known throughout the world.
17. I'm Movin' On (2:26) - This fast song is yet another one later sung by Emmylou Harris. Wherever the narrator is right now, he will soon move to Alabama.
18. T For Texas (3:31) - Here's yet another 1930s song. Some parts are fast; others are moderately slow. Texas begins with the letter T; so does Tennessee, and so does Thelma, the name of the narrator's girlfriend who has done him wrong. He's leaving Georgia for a place "where the water drinks like cherry wine."
19. I Wonder If I Care As Much (2:57) - This version, recorded in 1968, is slow, much slower than the hit version 11 years earlier. During the first few seconds, the fading seconds of the previous song overlap. The featured instrument is a clarinet.
20. The Lord Of The Manor (4:47) - The longest song on this anthology has a moderately slow tempo. Orchestral string instruments are featured. Not until 1:23 do the guys start singing. After the rich man sends his wife away from their mansion and seduces the narrator's girlfriend, the narrator wishes for rips in the rich man's sheets and only thorns on the flowers that sit on table near the bed.
21. Sing Me Back Home (3:56) - The tempo is slow. A drum solo fills the first 10 seconds; then an organ, guitars, and other instruments gradually enter. Among the drums, I hear the clinking of a glass. At the 2-minute mark, the key rises from G to A. A prisoner, who is about to be executed, wants to hear an old favorite song for his last few minutes of life, so he asks a choir to sing it for him. "Home" in this case means Heaven.
22. Shady Grove (1:52) - This fast song features a banjo. The narrator invites his girlfriend with him to the beautiful city of Harlan, Kentucky, near which a grove full of trees lies.
23. Cuckoo Bird (2:39) - Like the previous song, this and the next song are fast. The chorus is the only part of the song that has anything to do with a cuckoo. But I think it's heartless of the narrator not to give the bird water except on the Fourth of July; I'd give water any day and every day.
24. I'm On My Way Home Again (2:19) - Instruments include a banjo. This trip home is the last train ride the narrator resolves ever to take. From now on, he'll "just smile and wave at the engineer" whenever he sees the train pass. This is a fitting song to end this collection, for even as they were releasing it, the Everlys were on their own way "home again"--out of their contract with Warners.