Rock and Roll Lullaby (song)

"Rock and Roll Lullaby" is a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil that was a 1972 hit single performed by B. J. Thomas. "Rock and Roll Lullaby" reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Thomas's third number one on the Easy Listening chart, where it spent one week in March 1972.[1] The song was a smash-hit in Brazil, because of its appearance as love theme in the soap opera Selva de Pedra.

"Rock and Roll Lullaby"
Single by B. J. Thomas
from the album Billy Joe Thomas
B-side"Are We Losing Touch"
Released1972
GenrePop
Length4:08
LabelScepter Records
Songwriter(s)Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil
Producer(s)Steve Tyrell, Al Gorgoni

Content

The song is sung in a first-person narrative of an adolescent or adult raised by single teenage mother since birth during the early years of rock-and-roll. Despite the bleakness of their situation, whenever the child cries, the mother sings him to sleep with a 'sha-na-na-na-na-na-na, it'll be all right...sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, just hold on tight'. In the second verse, the narrator calls attention that despite hardships, they'd 'dream of better mornings when Mama sang her song', and that while it didn't make sense to try to recall the words, the loving meaning beneath them was all that mattered.

Production

The song was produced by Steve Tyrell. After the recording of a basic rhythm track, Steve Tyrell and B.J. Thomas had the inspiration of blending several unique and recognizable signature sounds associated with early American rock recordings. The single's backup vocals are first performed by The Blossoms. Duane Eddy plays the lead guitar in his "twangy" signature style with Al Gorgoni electric guitar distorted and clean. At around three minutes, Thomas sings his final vocals and this is where a Beach Boys sound, provided by Dave Somerville and three members of the Ron Hicklin Singers (Tom Bahler, Gene Morford, and Hicklin himself), begins and carries the track to over 4 minutes.

Personnel

See also
  • List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1972 (U.S.)

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 242.
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