Country music in the 1970s will always be timeless. But these three country songs, all out in 1975, still make me smile, regardless of how much time has passed.
“Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” by Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson is the songwriter of a lot of his songs, but not “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain”. The only song Nelson released in 1975, it was written by Fred Rose. Before Nelson released “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain”, it was first written by Roy Acuff. Nelson’s version appears on his The Red-Headed Stranger record. It became a moderate pop hit for Nelson as well.
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“Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” says, “In the twilight glow I see her / Blue eyes cryin’ in the rain / When we kissed goodbye and parted / I knew we’d never meet again / Love is like a dyin’ ember / Only memories remain / Through the ages I’ll remember / Blue eyes cryin’ in the rain.”
In 2003, Nelson recorded a duet version of “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” with Shania Twain. Their collaboration was for his 2003 Live & Kickin’: Willie Nelson and Friends special, which was a CD and DVD set.
“Touch The Hand” by Conway Twitty
Among Conway Twitty’s many hits is “Touch The Hand”. Written by Twitty and Ron Peterson, “Touch The Hand” is on his The High Priest of Country Music record.
The suggestive song says, “I was the first man to ever / Hold you in a special kind of way / And those unfamiliar feelings that caused you to tremble / I know you remember today / Before you decide that your gonna leave me / And do things you’ve never done before / Touch the hand of the man that made you a woman / Then tell me you don’t love me anymore.”
“Convoy” by C.W. McCall
On C. W. McCall’s Black Bear Road album is “Convoy”. The novelty song was written by Chip Davies and Bill Fries. It became a six-week No. 1 single for McCall and a No. 1 pop hit as well. “Convoy” is McCall’s only song to reach the top of the charts. “Convoy” tells the story of three truckers driving across the country.
A long-distance trucker’s anthem of sorts, “Convoy” says, “’Cause we got a little convoy / Rockin’ through the night / Yeah, we got a little convoy / Ain’t she a beautiful sight? / Come on and join our convoy / Ain’t nothin’ gonna get in our way / We gonna roll this truckin’ convoy / ‘Cross the USA, convoy.”
Photo by David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images
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CIRCA 1955: (Clockwise from bottom left) Herb Reed, Dave Lynch, Tony Williams, Paul Robi and Zola Taylor of the early rock and roll group "The Platters" pose for a portrait in circa 1955. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Singer, songwriter and guitarist Don Barnes of .38 Special is shown performing on stage during a "live" concert appearance on June 26, 1994. (Photo by John Atashian/Getty Images) -
American country and western singer and musician Johnny Cash (1932 – 2003) performs on stage at the Painters Mill Music Far in Owing Mills, Maryland, September 29, 1977. He is strumming a guitar and standing in front of a microphone. Bassist Marshall Grant (1928 – 2011) of Cashs backing band The Tennessee Three plays behind him on the right. (Photo by Leffler/Library of Congress/Interim Archives/Getty Images) -
Seminal American rock group The Byrds consisted originally of Jim (Roger) McGuinn, born 1942, David Crosby, born 1941, Michael Clark, born 1944, Chris Hillman, born 1944 and Gene Clark, born 1941. Their folk and pyschedelic tinged music was popular and influential during the late 1960s and early 1970s. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
