Ah, the grown up feeling of being 16 cannot be matched at any other age. Maybe that’s why there are songs written in tribute to this fabulous age of sixteen, and today I’m going to take you back to the 60’s when these songs were climbing up charts. I like these two songs very much and am sure they will stir up memories or new feelings for you too.
YOU’RE SIXTEEN
Songwriters: The Sherman Brothers
Artist: Johnny Burnette
You're Sixteen was written by the Sherman Brothers (Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman) and was first performed by American rock singer Johnny Burnette, whose version peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in December 1960 and number 3 in the U.K. in 1961. The original 1960 version of You're Sixteen by Burnette is notably featured on the 1973 motion picture soundtrack of the film American Graffiti.
Ooh, you come out of a dream,
Peaches and cream,
Lips like strawberry wine,
You're sixteen,
You're beautiful and you're mine.
You're all ribbons and curls,
Oh, what a girl!
Eyes that twinkle and shine,
You're sixteen,
You're beautiful and you're mine.
You're my baby, you're my pet,
We fell in love on the night we met.
You touched my hand, my heart went "pop",
And ooh, when we kissed we could not stop.
You walked out of my dream,
Into my arms,
Now you're my angel divine,
You're sixteen,
You're beautiful and you're mine.
You're my baby, you're my pet,
We fell in love on the night we met,
You touched my hand, my heart went pop,
Ooh when we kissed we could not stop.
You walked out of my dreams, and into my car,
Now you're my angel divine,
You're sixteen, you're beautiful, and you're mine.
Happy Birthday Sweet 16
Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen is a pop song released in 1961 by American pop/rock singer, pianist and composer Neil Sedaka who wrote the music and performed the song, while the lyrics were written by Howard Greenfield. The song reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. Sedaka’s career has spanned nearly 55 years and his records have sold by the millions. He has written or co-written 500 songs for himself as well as for other artists.
Happy Birthday Sweet 16
Lyrics: Howard Greenfield
Music and Artist: Neil Sedaka
Tra la-la-la-la la-la-la-la
Happy birthday sweet sixteen
Tra la-la-la-la la-la-la-la
Happy birthday sweet sixteen
Tonight's the night I've waited for
Because you're not a baby anymore
You've turned into the prettiest girl I've ever seen,
Happy birthday sweet sixteen
What happened to that funny face
My little tomboy now wears satins and lace
I can't believe my eyes you're just a teenage dream
Happy birthday sweet sixteen
When you were only six I was your big brother
Then when a you were ten we didn't like each other
When you were thirteen You was a funny valentine
But since you've grown up Your future is sewn up
From now on you're gonna be mine, so
If I should smile with sweet surprise
It's just that you've grown up before my very eyes
You've turned into the prettiest girl I've ever seen
Happy birthday sweet sixteen
If I should smile with sweet surprise
It's just that you've grown up before my very eyes
You've turned into the prettiest girl I've ever seen
Happy birthday sweet sixteen
Tra la-la-la-la la-la-la-la Happy birthday sweet sixteen
Tra la-la-la-la la-la-la-la Happy birthday sweet sixteen
Tra la-la-la-la la-la-la-la Happy birthday sweet sixteen
[Fade]
Have you ever fallen in love with a beautiful, heartrending voice? If you’ve never, maybe you will with this many times produced 1928 American traditional song Corinne Corinna which was recorded by Ray Peterson in 1960 and climbed up to #9 on Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Ray Peterson was an American pop singer blessed with a four-octave singing voice which means he had a large vocal range like that of Julie Andrews (Mariah Carey has a five-octave vocal range).
Let’s listen to Ray Peterson’s voice and see how his vocal range appeals to you.
Producer: Phil Spector
Artist: Ray Peterson
I love Corinna, tell the world I do
I love Corinna, tell the world I do
I pray at night she'd like to love me too
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
I love you so
Oh little darling where you've been so long?
Oh little darling where you've been so long?
I ain't had no lovin' since you've been gone
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
I love you so
I left Corinna way across the sea
Oh me I left Corinna way across the sea
If you see Corinna send her home to me
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
I love you so
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
Corinna, Corinna
I love you so
Oh darling don't you know
I love you so
Darling don't you know
Another song made famous by Ray Peterson is the teenage tragedy song Tell Laura I Love Her which was an American Top Ten popular music and a hit in 14 countries. This song is about a teenage boy Tommy who wanted to buy a wedding ring to get married to his girlfriend Laura so he entered a racing car championship. His car, however, overturned and burst into flame and his last words “Tell Laura I Love Her” could be heard by Laura when she sat and prayed for her Tommy in a chapel.
Songwriters: Jeff Barry and Ben Raleigh
Artist: Ray Peterson
He wanted to give her everything
Flowers, presents,
But most of all, a wedding ring
He saw a sign for a stock car race
A thousand dollar prize it read
He couldn't get Laura on the phone
So to her mother, Tommy said
Tell Laura I love her
Tell Laura I need her
Tell Laura I may be late
I've something to do, that cannot wait
He drove his car to the racing grounds
He was the youngest driver there
The crowed roared as they started the race
Around the track they drove at a deadly pace
No one knows what happened that day
Or how his car overturned in flames
But as they pulled him from the twisted wreck
With his dying breath, they heard him say
Tell Laura I love her
Tell Laura I need her
Tell Laura not to cry
My love for her will never die
Now in the chapel where Laura prays
For her poor Tommy, who passed away
It was just for Laura he lived and died
Alone in the chapel she can hear him cry
Tell Laura I love her
Tell Laura I need her
Tell Laura not to cry
My love for her will never die
Tell Laura I love her
Tell Laura I need her
Tell Laura not to cry
My love for her will never die
Do you agree with me about Ray Peterson’s awesome singing voice? It squeezes your heart, somehow.
Growing up in an era when lyrics to songs were realistic and easy to remember and life was carefree and happy, I enormously enjoyed the scores of songs coming out of the United States and England each week. I remember well in 1961 while I was attending a boarding school in Goulburn, Australia a song by Sue Thompson, pop and country music singer, called Norman which was climbing up the charts on the radio every Sunday afternoon when the nuns at my boarding school took us 1st and 2nd year students on our weekly walks and picnic. Needless to say, our walks became very lively and vigorous whenever Norman was heard on the portable radio one of my friends was carrying. There were no Soundabouts or smart phones in those days, fortunately, and so our group of girls enjoyed singing along quite loudly with the song during the walks.
Sue Thompson, whose poignant yet lovely voice could always make me sing along, signed on with Hickory Records in 1960. In 1961, Sad Movies (Make Me Cry) became a No. 5 hit on the pop charts, and she followed this up successfully with Norman, which reached No. 3. Both of these hit singles were written by songwriter John D. Loudermilk, sold over one million copies, and were awarded with gold discs.
So, let’s listen to both these songs, beginning with the bubbling Norman
NORMAN
Words and Music: John D. Loudermilk
Artist: Sue Thompson
Norman, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
Norman, Norman, my love
Jimmy called me on the phone but I was gone, not at home
Cuz I was out parked all alone with darlin' Norman
Bill invited me to a show but I said no, cannot go
There's a dress that I've got to sew and wear for Norman
Norman holds me close to him, Norman kisses me and then
Norman knows my heart belongs to him and him and only him, oh
Norman, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ohh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Norman, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ohh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Norman, Norman, my love
Joey asked me for a date, he wanted to take me out to skate
But I told Joey he would have to make arrangements with Norman
Norman is my only love, Norman's all I'm thinking of
Norman gives me all his lovin', kissin', huggin', lovey-dovin'
Norman, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Norman, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
Norman, Norman, my love
Released as a single in 1961, Sad Movies (Make Me Cry) was Sue Thompson's first song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at No. 5. The song also reached the top of the Billboard Easy Listening chart. Although Thompson was in her thirties when she recorded Sad Movies, her singing style and young-sounding voice appealed to many young people of that era. Songwriter John D. Loudermilk was inspired to write this song after a girlfriend of his related to him that after seeing a movie and the lights came on at the end of the show, the person she went with had tears in her eyes and said, 'Sad movies make me cry'.
SAD MOVIES
Lyrics and Music: John D Loudermilk
Artist: Sue Thompson
Sa-a-a-d movies always make me cry
He said he had to work so I went to the show alone
They turned down the lights and turned the projector on
And just as the news of the world started to begin
I saw my darlin' and my best friend walk in
Though I was sittin' there they didn't see
And so they sat right down in front of me
When he kissed her lips I almost died
And in the middle of the color cartoon I started to cry.
Oh-oh-oh sa-a-a-d movies always make me cry
Oh-oh-oh sa-a-a-d movies always make me cry
And so I got up and slowly walked on home
And mama saw the tears and said “what's wrong?”
And so to keep from telling her a lie
I just said “sa-a-a-d movies make me cry”
Oh-oh-oh sa-a-a-d movies always make me cry
Oh-oh-oh sa-a-a-d movies always make me cry
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Sa-a-a-d movies make me cry-y-y
