
Peak
6
Weeks
12
Score
2,183
Chart Year
1968
The line, "You're my pride and joy etcetera" ends the main chorus of this song. This was a dig at their record label, White Whale, who had been hounding them for another "Happy Together," which was The Turtles' big hit in 1967. They quickly threw together this overly-clichéd song ("Gee I think you're swell") and it proceeded to be another smash despite their best effort at sabotage. In the liner notes of The Turtles' Anthology Solid Zinc, Howard Kaylan of The Turtles explained: "Elenore was a parody of 'Happy Together.' It was never intended to be a straight-forward song. It was meant as an anti-love letter to White Whale (their record company), who were constantly on our backs to bring them another 'Happy Together.' So I gave them a very skewed version. Not only with the chords changed, but with all these bizarre words. It was my feeling that they would listen to how strange and stupid the song was and leave us alone. But they didn't get the joke. They thought it sounded good. Truthfully, though, the production on 'Elenore' WAS so damn good. Lyrically or not, the sound of the thing was so positive that it worked. It certainly surprised me." >> Many of The Turtles' hits were composed by other writers, but this one they wrote themselves. The who band was given writer credit: Howard Kaylan, Mark Volman, Al Nichols, Jim Pons and John Barbata.
You got a thing about you I just can't live without you I really want you, Elenore, near me Your looks intoxicate me Even though your folks hate me There's no one like you, Elenore, really Elenore, gee I think you're swell And you really do me well You're my pride and joy et cetera Elenore, can I take the time To ask you to speak your mind? Tell me that you love me better I really think you're groovy Let's go out to a movie What do ya say now, Elenore, can we? They'll turn the lights way down low Maybe we won't watch the show I think I love you, Elenore, love me Elenore, gee I think you're swell And you really do me well You're my pride and joy, et cetera Elenore, can I take the time To ask you to speak your mind? Tell me that you love me better (One more time) Elenore, gee I think you're swell, ah-hah Elenore, gee I think you're swell, ah-hah-hah
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 21, 1968 | 97 | 29 |
| 2 | Sep 28, 1968 | 54 | 72 |
| 3 | Oct 5, 1968 | 44 | 82 |
| 4 | Oct 12, 1968 | 24 | 102 |
| 5 | Oct 19, 1968 | 14 | 112 |
| 6 | Oct 26, 1968 | 9 | 117 |
| 7 | Nov 2, 1968 | 6 | 120 |
| 8 | Nov 9, 1968 | 8 | 118 |
| 9 | Nov 16, 1968 | 10 | 116 |
| 10 | Nov 23, 1968 | 12 | 114 |
| 11 | Nov 30, 1968 | 14 | 112 |
| 12 | Dec 7, 1968 | 32 | 94 |