Lucille (Kenny Rogers song)
"Lucille" is a song written by Roger Bowling and Hal Bynum, and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers. It was released in January 1977 as the second and final single from the album Kenny Rogers. It became Rogers' first major hit as a solo artist after leaving the successful country/rock group The First Edition the previous year. An international hit, it reached number 1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart and number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2] Overseas, "Lucille" reached the top of the UK Singles Chart in June 1977,[3] the first of Rogers' two number one singles there.[4]
"Lucille" | ||||
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Single by Kenny Rogers | ||||
from the album Kenny Rogers | ||||
B-side | "Till I Get It Right"[1] | |||
Released | January 24, 1977 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:42 | |||
Label | United Artists | |||
Songwriter(s) | Roger Bowling Hal Bynum | |||
Producer(s) | Larry Butler | |||
Kenny Rogers singles chronology | ||||
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Content
The song, told by the narrator (Rogers), tells the story of a man in a bar in Toledo, Ohio, who acquaints himself with a downhearted married woman named Lucille. An inebriated Lucille admits her unhappiness in life and a longing for adventure. Her husband arrives and approaches her and the intimidated narrator. The brokenhearted husband, starting to shake, scorns her for her inconvenient timing in abandoning him "with four hungry children and a crop in the field," leaving him with a "hurtin'" that refuses to heal. After the husband leaves, Lucille and the narrator make their way to a hotel room. The beautiful woman comes to the narrator, but is blindsided by his odd, sudden change of heart; he recalls the recurring haunting words of her husband and feels unable to respond to her advances.
Chart performance
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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References
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 360–361. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 537.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 340. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- "Kenny Rogers | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
- "Kenny Rogers Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- "Kenny Rogers Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 203.
- "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 429. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Top 200 Singles of '77 – Volume 28, No. 14, December 31 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- "End of Year Charts 1977". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
- "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1977". Retrieved 2 September 2018.
- Hunter, Nigel; Scaping, Peter, eds. (1978). "Top 100 Singles in 1977". BPI Year Book 1978 (3rd ed.). London, England: The British Phonographic Industry Ltd. pp. 216–17. ISBN 0-906154-01-4.
- Musicoutfitters.com