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The Wayward Wind
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Wikipedia article
"'The Wayward Wind'" is a country song written by Stanley Lebowsky (music) and Herb Newman (lyrics).
Members of the Western Writers of America chose the song as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.
Background
The Wayward Wind of the title is a metaphor for wanderlust: an irrepressible urge to travel and explore. This is further emphasized by describing it as a "restless wind." In the context of the 19th century setting of shanty towns and railroads, the Western United States was still largely unexplored by European settlers. Concurrent to the era of lone cowboys on horseback, the First transcontinental railroad was built. Steam trains were a gateway the American frontier romanticized in literature, songs and film. The subject of the song is a young man, living near train tracks, instilled with an irrepressible urge to travel by the sound of passing trains. On his travels he falls in love and attempts to settle down and lead a normal life, but the urge to wander is too strong. The phrase "Next of kin, which is a colloquialism meaning the person's closest living relative, may suggest that the wandering man has no family or connection and will perhaps wander his entire life.
Originally recorded and sung in third person narration from the point of view of the young mans lover/wife, by female pop singer Gogi Grant, the song is often adapted to male singers and sung in first person from the POV of the young man.
Recordings
In 1956, versions were recorded by Gogi Grant, Tex Ritter, and Jimmy Young, of which Grant's was the biggest seller in the United States and Ritter's in the United Kingdom. The song reached No. 1 on the 'Cash Box' chart, which combined all recorded versions, while Grant's version reached No. 1 on the 'Billboard' chart on its own. 'Billboard' ranked it as the No. 5 song for 1956.Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1956 It became a Gold record. Ritter used the song to open his stage shows.
Grant's recording featured a female chorus, heard in the intro and outro of the song, sliding up and down, impersonating the sound of the wayward wind.
In 1961, Grant's recording was reissued and reached 'Billboard' No. 50 and Cash Box No. 78. That same year, Patsy Cline made a recording, which did not chart. In 1963, a new recording was made by Frank Ifield, which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks duration.
The song made the 'Billboard' country chart in a version by Irish flautist James Galway with vocal accompaniment by American country singer Sylvia. Produced in Nashville by Bill Pursell, the single was released in 1982 and it rose to No. 57 in 1983.
Notable cover versions
* Gene Vincent with the Blue Caps (1958)
*Gogi Grant (1956) No. 1 (U.S.), No. 9 (UK)
*Tex Ritter (1956) No. 28 (U.S.), No. 8 (UK)
*Jimmy Young (1956) No. 27 (UK)
*Frank Ifield (1963) No. 1 (UK), No. 16 (Australia), No. 3 (Ireland), No. 104 (U.S.)
*James Galway featuring Sylvia (1982) No. 57 (U.S.)
*Neil Young (1985)
Chart performance
Anne Murray
Year-end charts
References
Category:1956 songs
Category:Sylvia (singer) songs
Category:Tex Ritter songs
Category:Songs written by Stanley Lebowsky
Category:1956 singles
Category:1963 singles
Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in the United States
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