Peak
3
Weeks
23
Score
3,655
Chart Year
1973
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This song was written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman - neither of whom were members of Sweet. Instead, Chinn and Chapman were a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s. Just as in the US, Leiber and Stoller became known for "the Brill Building sound," Chinn and Chapman in the UK became known as the "Chinnichap" sound. They produced songs for Suzi Quatro, and British bands Smokie, Mud, Racey, and The Arrows. Chapman would later produce albums for Blondie and The Knack, and along with Holly Knight, wrote Pat Benatar's hit "Love Is A Battlefield." "Little Willy" was Sweet's biggest US hit, peaking the charts at #3 when it was re-released in 1973. It was a non-album single, but went gold in the US and UK all by itself anyway. Critics in the UK dismissed the song as "bubblegum" and referred to the lyrics as "nursery porn." Sweet wanted to shed their bubblegum/ glam-rock image and become more hardcore, so they later turned to writing their own songs. Putting this song together, Chinn and Chapman used a pounding drum beat popularized by Slade and producer Mike Leander. They mixed in the riff from the Who song "I Can't Explain," and added the exceptionally catchy chorus, which dug into your ear and wouldn't let go. The song didn't tell any kind of story - just that Willy won't go home - but listeners didn't care and with Glam Rock, the lyrics weren't supposed to make sense anyway.
North side , east side Little Willy, Willy wears the crown, he's the king around town Dancing, glancing Willy drives them silly with his star shoe shimmy shuffle down Way past one, and feeling all right 'Cause with little Willy round they can last all night Hey down, stay down, stay down, down 'Cause little Willy, Willy won't go home But you can't push Willy round Willy won't go, try tellin' everybody but, oh no Little Willy, Willy won't go home Uptown, downtown Little Willy, Willy drives them wild with his run-around style Inside, outside Willy sends them silly with his star-shine shimmy shuffle smile Mama done chase Willy down through the hall But laugh, Willy laugh, he don't care at all Hey down, stay down, stay down, down 'Cause little Willy, Willy won't go home But you can't push Willy round Willy won't go, try tellin' everybody but, oh no Little Willy, Willy won't go home Little Willy, Willy won't Willy won't, Willy won't Little Willy, Willy won't Willy won't, Willy won't Little Willy, Willy won't Willy won't, Willy won't Little Willy, Willy won't Willy won't, Willy won't Little Willy, Willy won't go home But you can't push Willy round Willy won't go, try tellin' everybody but, oh no Little Willy, Willy won't go home Little Willy, Willy won't go home But you can't push Willy round Willy won't go, try tellin' everybody but, oh no Little Willy, Willy won't go home
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 20, 1973 | 99 | 27 |
| 2 | Jan 27, 1973 | 92 | 34 |
| 3 | Feb 3, 1973 | 89 | 37 |
| 4 | Feb 10, 1973 | 86 | 40 |
| 5 | Feb 17, 1973 | 77 | 49 |
| 6 | Feb 24, 1973 | 74 | 52 |
| 7 | Mar 3, 1973 | 60 | 66 |
| 8 | Mar 10, 1973 | 49 | 77 |
| 9 | Mar 17, 1973 | 36 | 90 |
| 10 | Mar 24, 1973 | 32 | 94 |
| 11 | Mar 31, 1973 | 25 | 101 |
| 12 | Apr 7, 1973 | 20 | 106 |
| 13 | Apr 14, 1973 | 12 | 114 |
| 14 | Apr 21, 1973 | 7 | 119 |
| 15 | Apr 28, 1973 | 5 | 121 |
| 16 | May 5, 1973 | 3 | 123 |
| 17 | May 12, 1973 | 3 | 123 |
| 18 | May 19, 1973 | 3 | 123 |
| 19 | May 26, 1973 | 7 | 119 |
| 20 | Jun 2, 1973 | 8 | 118 |