My Boy
"My Boy" is a popular song from the early 1970s. The music was composed by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and Claude François, and the lyrics were translated from the original version "Parce que je t'aime, mon enfant" (Because I Love You My Child) into English by Phil Coulter and Bill Martin.
Song meaning
[edit]A sentimental ballad, the song is sung in a first-person narrative from the point of view of a father to his young son under the presumption that the child is asleep and can’t hear what his father is trying to tell him. The father tells his son the truth of the strained relationship between the child's parents, and that all the father has left is the love of his son. Rather than risk losing that through a painful divorce, the father makes the decision to stay in a loveless marriage for the sake of his child.
Richard Harris version
[edit]Actor Richard Harris performed the song "My Boy" at a music contest sponsored by Radio Luxembourg in 1971. Despite not winning the contest, Harris recorded the song and released it as a single later that year. Appearing on Harris' album of the same name, the song reached #41 on the Billboard pop chart and peaked at #13 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart.[1]
Elvis Presley version
[edit]| "My Boy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Elvis Presley | ||||
| from the album Good Times | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released |
| |||
| Recorded | December 13, 1973[1] | |||
| Studio | Stax Studios, Memphis | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 3:19 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Phil Coulter and Bill Martin (words, English); Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and Claude François (music) | |||
| Producer(s) | Felton Jarvis | |||
| Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Elvis Presley recorded a cover version of "My Boy" in late 1973 that was included on his 1974 album Good Times. Presley's version of the song reached #20 on the Billboard pop chart[2] and #17 on Cash Box.[3] In the UK, where Presley's career had had something of a resurgence in the previous few years, it made the top 10 peaking at number 5 in the first week of January 1975.[4] It was a bigger adult contemporary hit, spending one week atop the U.S.[1] and Canadian[5] charts in April 1975. "My Boy also peaked at #14 on the Billboard country chart.[6]
Charts
[edit]Richard Harris version
[edit]| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian (Kent Music Report)[7] | 28
|
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 41 |
Elvis Presley version
[edit]| Chart (1974–75) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] | 10 |
| Belgium | 5 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[10] | 1 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 27 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 4 |
| Netherlands | 9 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ) | 12 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[12] | 5 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[13] | 20 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary[14] | 1 |
| US Billboard Country | 14 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 17 |
Year-end charts
[edit]| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] | 65 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004) The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, March 22, 1975
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 50 | Official Charts Company". Official Charts.
- ^ RPM Adult Contemporary, April 5, 1975
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 273.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 133. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Richard Harris Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ a b "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. 29 December 1975. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – My Boy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ "Elvis Presley Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 192.
