Peak
2
Weeks
21
Score
3,849
Chart Year
1960
///
"Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)" is a 1960 song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson.[3] Orbison's recording of the song, produced by Fred Foster for Monument Records, was the first major hit for the singer. It was described by The New York Times as expressing "a clenched, driven urgency".[3] Released as a 45 rpm single by Monument Records in May 1960, "Only the Lonely" went to No. 2 on the United States Billboard pop music charts on 25 July 1960 (blocked by Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry") and No. 14 on the Billboard R&B charts.[4] "Only the Lonely" reached number one in the United Kingdom, a position it achieved on 20 October 1960, staying there for two weeks (out of a total of 24 weeks spent on the UK singles chart from 28 July 1960).[5] According to The Authorized Roy Orbison, "Only the Lonely" was the longest charting single of Orbison's career.[6] Personnel on the original recording included Orbison's drummer Larry Parks, plus Nashville A-Team regulars Floyd Cramer on piano, Bob Moore on bass, and Hank Garland and Harold Bradley on guitars, Joe Melson and the Anita Kerr Singers on backing vocals. Drummer Buddy Harman played on the rest of the songs on the session. In 1999, the 1960 recording of "Only the Lonely" by Roy Orbison on Monument Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Dum dum dummy doo wah Ooh yay, yay, yay, yeah Oh, oh oh oh oh ooh ah ah Only the lonely, only the lonely Only the lonely (Dum dum dummy doo wah) Know the way I feel tonight (Ooh yay, yay, yay, yeah) Only the lonely (Dum dum dummy doo wah) Know this feeling ain't right (Dum dum dummy doo wah) There goes my baby, there goes my heart They're gone forever, so far apart But only the lonely Know why I cry only the lonely Dum dum dummy doo wah Ooh yay, yay, yay, yeah Oh, oh oh oh oh ooh ah ah Only the lonely, only the lonely Only the lonely (Dum dum dummy doo wah) Know the heartaches I've been through (Ooh yay, yay, yay, yeah Only the lonely (Dum dum dummy doo wah) Know I cry and cry for you (Dum dum dummy doo wah) Maybe tomorrow a new romance No more sorrow, but that's the chance You've got to take If your lonely heart breaks, only the lonely (Dum dum dummy doo wah)
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 6, 1960 | 88 | 38 |
| 2 | Jun 13, 1960 | 44 | 82 |
| 3 | Jun 20, 1960 | 31 | 95 |
| 4 | Jun 27, 1960 | 23 | 103 |
| 5 | Jul 4, 1960 | 11 | 115 |
| 6 | Jul 11, 1960 | 6 | 120 |
| 7 | Jul 18, 1960 | 4 | 122 |
| 8 | Jul 25, 1960 | 2 | 124 |
| 9 | Aug 1, 1960 | 4 | 122 |
| 10 | Aug 8, 1960 | 4 | 122 |
| 11 | Aug 15, 1960 | 4 | 122 |
| 12 | Aug 22, 1960 | 6 | 120 |
| 13 | Aug 29, 1960 | 9 | 117 |
| 14 | Sep 5, 1960 | 12 | 114 |
| 15 | Sep 12, 1960 | 25 | 101 |
| 16 | Sep 19, 1960 | 30 | 96 |
| 17 | Sep 26, 1960 | 38 | 88 |
| 18 | Oct 3, 1960 | 46 | 80 |
| 19 | Oct 10, 1960 | 60 | 66 |
| 20 | Oct 17, 1960 | 72 | 54 |