That's All She Wrote - Ricky Nelson

That's All She Wrote - Ricky Nelson

2:13

Rick Nelson Sings "For You", 1963

Written by Keith Colley and Nancie Mantz

Like "Please Mr. Postman," this teenybopper rock number is addressed to a mailman.  The narrator can't believe that his girl wrote such a cold letter to him ("And at the end / Was Just Goodbye my friend / Just a note / That's all she wrote").  He begs the carrier to take the letter away.  I can't fathom why this catchy heartbreak song hasn't become a classic; it's got an irresistibly catchy chorus and a very relatable theme of being dumped.

Travelin' Man - Ricky Nelson

Travelin' Man - Ricky Nelson

2:23

Rick Is 21, 1961

Written by Jerry Fuller

This song was originally intended for Sam Cooke, but he passed on it, according to some accounts literally throwing it in the trash where it was rescued by Nelson's manager.  It's a song about a fellow who has a girl in every port: "Oh, my sweet fräulein down in Berlin town / Makes my heart start to yearn / And my China doll down in old Hong Kong / Waits for my return," and so forth.  Melodically, it's fairly simple, using an extremely common Brill Building progression and a melody built largely from chord tones. It has that conversational, stepwise motion that several early-'60s hits share.

One of These Mornings - Ricky Nelson

One of These Mornings - Ricky Nelson

1:54

Ricky Sings Again, 1959

Written by Dorsey Burnette

More 1950s rock 'n' roll than rockabilly — a sort of pop-abilly maybe — this song starts off with the narrator averring that one day he'll go find a gal who'll love him.  They'll have a great time under the moon and all that.  But then, suddenly he's talking about leaving again!  "I done told my gal what I'm gonna do / I'm gonna leave on a one way track / Yes one of these mornings and I can't be comin' back."  Well, I call that pretty fickle, Ricky Nelson!

Poor Little Fool - Ricky Nelson

Poor Little Fool - Ricky Nelson

2:33

Ricky Nelson, 1958

Written by Sharon Sheely

This song was reportedly based on Sheely's disappointment following a short-lived relationship with Don Everly.  "Well, I'd played this game with other hearts / But I never thought I'd see / The day when someone else would play / Love's foolish game with me."  She got Nelson's attention by pretending that her car was broken down and when he came to help, she played the song for him!  She had a lot of grit to be so assertive in that era.  I think Elvis might have given this song a little more heart and oomph, but Nelson's very pleasant voice does a fine job with it.