Oh Lonesome Me

For the Don Gibson album, see Oh Lonesome Me (album).

"Oh Lonesome Me" is a popular song written and recorded in December 1957 by Don Gibson with Chet Atkins^[5] producing it for RCA Victor in Nashville. Released in 1958, the song topped the country chart for eight non-consecutive weeks. On what became the Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at No. 7. It was Gibson's only Top 10 hit on the pop chart.^[6] Its B-side was "I Can't Stop Loving You", which peaked at No. 7 on the C&W Jockey charts and became a standard song about unrequited love.^[7] The vocal backings on both songs were provided by the Jordanaires.

"Oh Lonesome Me"
Single by Don Gibson
from the album Oh Lonesome Me
B-side	"I Can't Stop Loving You"
Written	June 7, 1957 (1957-06-07)[1][2]
Published	February 17, 1958 Acuff-Rose Publications, Inc.[3]
Released	December 1957 (1957-12)
Recorded	December 3, 1957 (1957-12-03)[4]
Studio	RCA Victor (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre	Country
Length	2:26
Label	RCA Victor
Songwriter(s)	Don Gibson
Producer(s)	Chet Atkins
Don Gibson singles chronology
"Sweet Dreams" (1956) "Oh Lonesome Me" (1957) "Blue Blue Day" (1958)

"Oh Lonesome Me"
Single by The Kentucky Headhunters
from the album Pickin' on Nashville
B-side	"My Daddy Was a Milkman"
Released	May 1990
Genre	Country rock, rockabilly, rock and roll, southern rock
Length	3:12
Label	Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Don Gibson
Producer(s)	The Kentucky Headhunters
The Kentucky Headhunters singles chronology
"Dumas Walker" (1990) "Oh Lonesome Me" (1990) "Rock 'n' Roll Angel" (1990)

The Kentucky Headhunters version

The song was covered by The Kentucky Headhunters in 1990. Their version went to number 8, which was the band's highest-peaking single.^[8]

Chart performance

Chart (1990)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[9]	19
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[10]	8

Year-end charts

Chart (1990)	Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[11]	73

Cover versions

• 1959: Sacha Distel recorded a French version "Oh ! Quelle Nuit (Lonesome Me)".^[12]
• 1960: Bob Luman's rendition reached No. 105 on the U.S. Billboard Pop chart
• 1961: Johnny Cash (went to No. 13)^[13]
• 1962: Ann-Margret on her album On the Way Up
• 1962: Craig Douglas released a cover in the UK on Decca Records under the production of Bunny Lewis.^[14] It entered the UK singles chart on October 20, 1962 and stayed there for twelve weeks; its best position was at No. 11^[15]
• 1962: Ray Charles for his album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Volume Two
• 1963: The Everly Brothers on their album "The Everly Brothers Sing Great Country Hits
• 1966: Bobbi Martin's version reached No. 134 on the U.S. Billboard Pop chart and No. 64 Country
• 1970: Neil Young (slower version, on After the Gold Rush)
• 1970: Stonewall Jackson (went to No. 63)^[16]

References

1. "Don Gibson, 75, Songwriter Known for Country Standards". The New York Times. Associated Press. 2003-11-19. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-09-09. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
2. Staff 11/18/2003, CMT com. "Acclaimed Songwriter Don Gibson Dies". CMT News. Archived from the original on 2021-09-09. Retrieved 2021-09-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
3. "Card .0786". vcc.copyright.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-09-08. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
4. "78/45 Singles - Don Gibson Discography". patsyclinediscography.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
5. Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 10 - Tennessee Firebird: American country music before and after Elvis. [Part 2]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
6. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 157. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
7. Gillett, Charlie (1996). The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll ((2nd Ed.) ed.). New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-0-306-80683-4.
8. Whitburn, p. 223
9. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 7997." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. August 18, 1990. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
10. "The Kentucky Headhunters Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
11. "Best of 1990: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1990. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
12. "Discogs.com". Discogs. 1959. Archived from the original on 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2020-08-15. Retrieved August 15, 2020
13. Whitburn, p. 84
14. "Official Charts - Home of the Official UK Top 40 Charts". Officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2002. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
15. "it's been nice | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
16. Whitburn, p. 203