Eddy Arnold will likely always remain one of the most successful country artists of all time. Also known as the Tennessee Plowboy, Arnold had many singles, including these three early hits, which every music fan needs to know.
“What Is Life Without Love”
Arnold’s first No. 1 single, “What Is Life Without Love” came out in 1946. Arnold wrote the song with Vernice McAlpin and Owen Bradley. “What Is Life Without Love” is not on any of Arnold’s numerous albums.
Videos by American Songwriter
The song says, “What is life without love / What is love without you / Why dream if they never come true / Why try to go on / When your only hopes are gone / Darlin’, what is life without love?“
“What Is Life Without Love” is the beginning of a winning streak for Eddy Arnold. He followed “What Is Life Without Love “ with “It’s A Sin” and “I’ll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms)”, which were both also chart-topping singles.
“Bouquet Of Roses”
“Bouquet Of Roses” came out in 1948. Written by Steve Nelson and Bob Hilliard, “Bouquet Of Roses” became Arnold’s first Top 15 crossover hit. It also did not appear on any of his records.
A sad song, “Bouquet Of Roses” says, “I’m sending you a big bouquet of roses / One for every time you broke my heart / And as the door of love between us closes / Tears will fall like petals when we part / I begged you to be different / But you’ll always be untrue / I’m tired of forgiving / Now there’s nothing left to do.“
After Arnold released “Bouquet Of Roses”, numerous other artists covered the song, including Marty Robbins, Clint Eastwood, and Mickey Gilley, among others.
“Anytime”
The title track of a compilation album that Arnold released in 1956, “Anytime” was written by Happy Lawson. Before Arnold’s version came out, Lawson released his own version in 1925. But the first person to record “Anytime” was actually Emmett Miller, who first released “Anytime” in 1924.
Still, it’s Arnold’s version that remains the most popular. A chart-topping hit for Arnold, the song says, “Anytime you’re feeling lonely / Anytime you’re feeling blue / Anytime you feel down hearted / That will prove your love for me is true / Anytime you’re thinking ’bout me / That’s the time I’ll think of you / Anytime you say you want me back again / That’s the time I’ll come back home to you.”
In 1968, five years after Patsy Cline passed away, a version of her singing “Anytime” was posthumously released.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images