Peak
30
Weeks
12
Score
1,065
Chart Year
1963
Marvin Gaye wrote this with William "Mickey" Stevenson and Clarence Paul, who were songwriters and record producers for Detroit's Motown label. Gaye got the idea for the song after watching his sister do a little dance where she just moved her hands with her thumbs pointed out like she was hitchhiking. After his success with "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow," this song further solidified Gaye's move towards the traditional Motown sound and gave him his first Top 30 hit. Before becoming a sultry soul singer, Gaye struggled to find hits with Jazz and Pop standards in the early '60s, which culminated in a failed debut album, The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye, and ended his hopes of becoming the "Black Frank Sinatra." Gaye thrilled the audience when he performed the song and its accompanying "Hitch Hike" dance on American Bandstand. The singer had always resisted dance routines, because he thought they were an affront to the artistry of his songs, but the "Hitch Hike" sparked a brief dance craze. Martha & the Vandellas, who had the Motown hit "Dancing in the Street," (which was co-written by Gaye) sang with Gaye on this song as well as the album's title track. The Rolling Stones covered this in 1965 on their Out Of Our Heads album. >> Hitchhiking has been a common way of getting around without a car since the days of the Great Depression. Standing by the side of a road, if you hold your thumb up (or down in some areas) to passing cars, one might stop and give you a ride. It's a fairly desperate measure that reflects how the "Hitch Hike" singer feels as he's willing to track down the girl who left him.
I'm goin' to Chicago That's the last place my baby strayed Yeah, hitch hike I'm packin' up my bags Gonna leave this old town right away Hitch hike I've got to find that girl If I have to hitch hike 'round the world Hitch hike Chicago City Limits That's what the sign on the highway read Hitch hike I'm gonna keep movin' till I get to that Street corner 6th and 3rd Hitch hike, yeah I've got to find that girl If I have to hitch hike 'round the world Hitch hike, baby Hitch hike, now hitch a hike It's all right hitch hike Jenny Hitch hike, hitch hike Yeah, hitch hike, hitch hike Jenny (Hitch hike baby, hitch hike Susan) (Hitch hike baby, hitch hike Susan) (Hitch hike baby, hitch hike baby) I'm goin' to St. Louis But my next stop just might be L.A. Now what'd I say Got no money in my pocket So I'm gonna have to hitch hike all the way Yeah I've got to find that girl If I have to hitch hike 'round the world And what'd I say Come on, hitch hike Come hitch hike Jenny Hitch hike now hitch hike baby Hitch hike hitch hike baby Now hitch hike To the hitch hike
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 12, 1963 | 96 | 30 |
| 2 | Jan 19, 1963 | 90 | 36 |
| 3 | Jan 26, 1963 | 83 | 43 |
| 4 | Feb 2, 1963 | 70 | 56 |
| 5 | Feb 9, 1963 | 55 | 71 |
| 6 | Feb 16, 1963 | 54 | 72 |
| 7 | Feb 23, 1963 | 43 | 83 |
| 8 | Mar 2, 1963 | 33 | 93 |
| 9 | Mar 9, 1963 | 32 | 94 |
| 10 | Mar 16, 1963 | 30 | 96 |
| 11 | Mar 23, 1963 | 54 | 72 |
| 12 | Mar 30, 1963 | 58 | 68 |