Nobody's Child (song)

"Nobody's Child" is a song written by Cy Coben and Mel Foree and first recorded by Hank Snow in 1949. Many other versions of this song exist.

"Nobody's Child"
Single by Hank Snow (The Singing Ranger) and his Rainbow Ranch Boys
B-side	"The Only Rose"
Released	1949
Genre	Country
Label	RCA Victor
Songwriter(s)	Cy Coben, Mel Foree

History

It was first recorded by Hank Snow in 1949 and it became one of his standards, although it did not chart for him. The song has been covered a number of times in the UK; it was on Lonnie Donegan's first album in 1956 (which went to No. 2 in the UK Albums Chart),[1] and in 1969 Karen Young took the song to No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart[2] and used it as the title track on her album. In 1969, Hank Williams Jr. did a version of it that made it to No. 46 on the US Country chart. The Traveling Wilburys' 1990 version made it to No. 44 on the UK chart.[3]

The song lyrics are about an orphan whom no one wants to adopt because he is blind:

I'm nobody's child, I'm nobody's child
Just like a flower I'm growing wild
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smile
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child

The Beatles with Tony Sheridan

"Nobody's Child"
The 1964 American single release of the song, backed with "Ain't She Sweet"
Single by Tony Sheridan and the Beatles
A-side	"Ain't She Sweet" "Sweet Georgia Brown"
Released	June 4, 1964
Recorded	June 22–23, 1961[4]
Genre	Rock
Length	2:58
Label	Atco Records 6308
Songwriter(s)	Cy Coben, Mel Foree
Producer(s)	Bert Kaempfert
The Beatles US singles chronology
"Please Please Me" / "From Me to You" (1964) "Sweet Georgia Brown" / "Nobody's Child" (1964) "All My Loving" / "This Boy" (1964)

It was also covered by Tony Sheridan and recorded in June 1961 in Hamburg with The Beatles as his backing group.[4] This recording was released by Polydor in 1964 when the British group's popularity was cresting. On this recording, Sheridan sings "Mammy's," not "Mommy's." Sheridan returned in studio during that year to rerecord the lyrics of "Sweet Georgia Brown", another Beatle track from these early sessions, and, at the same session, put to tape a new solo acoustic version of "Nobody's Child"[5] which was only released in Germany.

Release details

Singles

• "Ain't She Sweet" / "Nobody's Child" — released in 1964 by Atco in the US.
• "Sweet Georgia Brown" / "Nobody's Child" (acoustic version)— released in 1964 in Germany by Polydor.[6]

Albums

All these albums have the same tracklist.

• The Beatles' First ! — original German release, April 1964.
• The Beatles' First — released August 4, 1967 in the UK.
• Very Together — released October 1969 in Canada.
• In the Beginning (Circa 1960) — released May 4, 1970 in the US.

CD reissue

• The Early Tapes of the Beatles — worldwide release in 1984 which included two new Sheridan songs not featuring the Beatles.

Personnel

• Tony Sheridan — lead vocals
• Paul McCartney — bass guitar
• Pete Best — drums
• Bert Kaempfert — producer
• Peter Klemt — engineer

Traveling Wilburys

"Nobody's Child"
Single by Traveling Wilburys
from the album Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal
B-side	"Lumiere" (Dave Stewart) "With a Little Help from My Friends" (Ringo Starr) (12" and CD only)
Released	June 18, 1990
Genre	Country rock
Length	3:27
Label	Wilbury Records
Songwriter(s)	Cy Coben, Mel Foree
Producer(s)	Traveling Wilburys
Traveling Wilburys singles chronology
"End of the Line" (1988) "Nobody's Child" (1990) "She's My Baby" (1990)

The Traveling Wilburys version of "Nobody's Child" was the first track on the benefit album Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal, released on July 24, 1990. Wilbury member George Harrison, while present during the recording, had not appeared on the 1961 Beatles/Tony Sheridan version.

Year-end charts

Chart (1990)	Position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7]	43

Other cover versions

• Agnes Chan on her 1971 album Will The Circle Game Be UnBroken with the local Life Records.
• Billy Fury covered the song in 1972.
• Irene Ryder on her 1971 album Irene Ryder with EMI Regal Records
• Max Romeo and Techniques All Stars, both versions on a 1974 split 7" single released by Techniques Records.
• Majda Sepe (Slovenija). Her version was titled "Sirota", translated by G. Strniša (1969).
• The Alexander Brothers' biggest selling single was "Nobody's Child" in 1964.[8][9]

References

1. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 164/5. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 615. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 564. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
4. Russell, Jeff (1989) [1982]. The Beatles Album File and Complete Discography (Revised/second ed.). Blandford Press. pp. 4–10. ISBN 0-7137-2065-4.
5. John C. Winn, Way Beyond Compare: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume One, 1957-1965, 2017, Three Rivers Press. Page 110 ISBN 978-0307452382
6. "Sweet Georgia Brown / Nobody's Child, Polydor NH 52906". The Beatles Collection. February 4, 2012.
7. "End of Year Charts 1990". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
8. "Scots entertainers awarded MBEs". BBC News. December 31, 2004.
9. "Search for "Nobody's Child"". AllMusic. January 10, 2020.

External links

• Ain't She Sweet / Nobody's Child at Discogs