Bobby Vinton – Mr Lonely

About The Song

“Mr. Lonely” is a song co-written and recorded by American singer Bobby Vinton. The song was first released on Vinton’s 1962 album Roses Are Red.

The fourth and last of the no. 1 singles by Vinton, this is the only one that was not a cover. Vinton wrote the song with Gene Allan, a songwriter who worked for Don Kirshner’s Aldon Music.

The song spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 1 on December 12, 1964, while reaching No. 3 on Billboard‘s Middle-Road Singles chart. In Canada, the song reached No. 1 on RPM‘s “Top 40 & 5” chart. The song also reached No. 2 on New Zealand’s “Lever Hit Parade”, No. 8 in Australia, and entered into the top 3 in South Africa.

Bobby Vinton began writing the song while serving in the Army. The song describes a soldier who is sent overseas and has no communication with his home. The singer laments his condition and wishes for someone to talk with.

“Mr. Lonely” was recorded in the make-or-break session in which Vinton recorded “Roses Are Red (My Love),” in 1962. His label, Epic Records, was going to drop him if he did not produce a hit. The single of Vinton’s recording was released just as the Vietnam War was escalating and many soldiers were experiencing a similar situation. Vinton’s version was noted for his emotional sobbing during the second verse.

Epic Records never had much initial faith in Bobby Vinton, but he turned out to be their best selling artist of the 1960s. Bobby included it on his first vocal album “Roses Are Red,” but it was not initially released as a single. He wanted the single to be a follow up to his first hit “Roses Are Red.” However, Epic’s executives went with the decidedly similar “Rain Rain Go Away” and then gave “Mr. Lonely” to Buddy Greco, whom they were grooming as their next big superstar.

Greco’s version reached No. 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on November 10, 1962. When Vinton heard Greco’s version on the radio, the executives at the company confessed to him that the move was made because they felt he was not a singer, but rather, a musician and a songwriter. However, in the following months, Bobby’s continued success as a vocalist which proved them wrong. Many months later, when Epic was preparing a “Greatest Hits” album, they had eleven cuts and asked Bobby what should be the twelfth. “Mr. Lonely” was his response to the question.

Video

Lyrics

Lonely, I’m Mr. Lonely
I have nobody for my own
Oh, I’m so lonely
I’m Mr. Lonely
I have nobody for my own
Oh, I’m so lonely
Yo, this one here
Goes out to all my players out there, man
You know, that got that one good girl, dogg
That’s always been there, man
Like, took all the bullshit
But then one day she can’t take it no more
And decide to leave
Yeah, I woke up in the middle of the night
And I noticed my girl wasn’t by my side
Could’ve sworn I was dreamin’
For her I was feenin’
So I had to take a little ride
Backtrackin’ on these few years
Tryna figure out what I do to make it go bad
‘Cause ever since my girl left me
My whole life came crashin’, and I’m so
Lonely (so lonely)
I’m Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
For my own (to call my own) girl
Oh, I’m so lonely (so lonely)
I’m Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
For my own (to call my own) girl
Oh, I’m so lonely
Can’t believe I had a girl like you
And I just let you walk right out of my life
After all I put you through
You still stuck around and stayed by my side
What really hurt me is I broke your heart
Baby, you a good girl and I had no right
I really wanna to make things right
‘Cause without you in my life girl, I’m so
Lonely (so lonely)
I’m Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
For my own (to call my own) girl
Oh, I’m so lonely (so lonely)
I’m Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
For my own (to call my own, baby)
Oh, I’m so lonely
Been all over the world
Ain’t never met a girl
That could take the things that you been through
Never thought the day would come
Where you would get up and run
And I would be out chasin’ you
‘Cause ain’t nowhere in the globe I’d rather be
Ain’t no one in the globe I’d rather see
Than the girl of my dreams that made me be
So happy, but now so lonely
Lonely (so lonely)
I’m Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
For my own (to call my own) girl
Oh, I’m so lonely (so lonely)
I’m Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
For my own (to call my own, baby)
Oh, I’m so lonely
Never thought that I’d be alone
I didn’t think you’d be gone this long
I just want you to call my phone
So stop playing girl and come on home (come on home)
Baby girl I didn’t mean to shout
I want me and you to work it out
I never wished to ever hurt my baby
And it’s drivin’ me crazy, ’cause I’m so
Lonely (so lonely)
I’m Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
For my own (to call my own) girl
Oh, I’m so lonely (so lonely)
I’m Mr. Lonely (Mr. Lonely)
I have nobody (I have nobody)
For my own (to call my own, baby)
Oh, I’m so lonely
So lonely, so lonely
Mr. Lonely, so lonely
So lonely, so lonely
So lonely, Mr. Lonely