Take a Message to Mary
"Take a Message to Mary" is a song released in 1959 by The Everly Brothers. The song spent 13 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 16,[2] while reaching No. 8 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade,[3] and No. 20 on the United Kingdom's New Musical Express chart.[1]
| "Take a Message to Mary" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Everly Brothers | ||||
| B-side | "Poor Jenny" | |||
| Released | 1959 | |||
| Recorded | March 2, 1959 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:24 | |||
| Label | Cadence | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Felice Bryant & Boudleaux Bryant[1] | |||
| The Everly Brothers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In the lyrics of the song, a man is thrown in jail for committing a crime, and not wanting to experience suffering, he asks a friend of his to deliver a message to his sweetheart, Mary, and tell her that he has gone to see the world, has to cancel their wedding day, and encourages her to find someone new. The song ends with a lament from the imprisoned man that his "cell is cold", implying that because of his crime, he loses what he cherishes the most.
Chart performance
| Chart (1959) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 16 |
| Canada - CHUM Hit Parade | 8 |
| UK - New Musical Express | 20 |
Cover versions
Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds released a version of the song on their 1980 EP, Nick Lowe & Dave Edmunds Sing The Everly Brothers.[4]
Bob Dylan released a version of the song in 1970 on his album Self Portrait
References
- Take a Message to Mary - By: The Everly Brothers, MusicVF.com. Accessed August 9, 2015
- The Everly Brothers - Chart History - The Hot 100, Billboard.com. Accessed August 9, 2015
- "CHUM Hit Parade Chart", CHUM, Week of May 11, 1959
- "Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe & Dave Edmunds Sing The Everly Brothers". Retrieved December 3, 2016.
