Answer Me
Encyclopedia
"Answer Me" is a popular
song
, originally written (with German
lyrics
, under the title "Mutterlein") by Gerhard Winkler and Fred Rauch. The English
lyrics were written by Carl Sigman
in 1952.
After the song was recorded
by David Whitfield
and Frankie Laine
in 1953, the "religious" version was banned by the BBC
after complaints. Nevertheless it still reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
,
after another version was written by Sigman in which, instead of directing the question to God about why the singer has lost his love, the lyric is addressed directly to the lost lover. In the new lyric, "Answer me, Lord above..." is changed to "Answer me, oh my love..." with other appropriate changes. The new song, entitled "Answer Me, My Love
," was again recorded by Laine and Whitfield, but became a bigger U.S.
hit
for Nat King Cole
in 1954.
Whitfield's version reached the top spot in the UK Singles Chart first, followed swiftly by Laine's. On 13 November 1953, for the first but not only time in chart history, one version of a song was knocked off the top by another version of the same song. Four weeks later, for the only time in British chart history, the two versions of the same song were at number one together.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, originally written (with German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
, under the title "Mutterlein") by Gerhard Winkler and Fred Rauch. The English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
lyrics were written by Carl Sigman
Carl Sigman
Carl Sigman was an American songwriter.-Biography:Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his Bar exams to practice in the state of New York...
in 1952.
After the song was recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
by David Whitfield
David Whitfield
David Whitfield was a popular British male tenor vocalist. This operatic-style tenor had a formidable and predominantly female fan base in the 1950s.-Life and career:...
and Frankie Laine
Frankie Laine
Frankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
in 1953, the "religious" version was banned by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
after complaints. Nevertheless it still reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
,
after another version was written by Sigman in which, instead of directing the question to God about why the singer has lost his love, the lyric is addressed directly to the lost lover. In the new lyric, "Answer me, Lord above..." is changed to "Answer me, oh my love..." with other appropriate changes. The new song, entitled "Answer Me, My Love
Answer Me, My Love
"Answer Me, My Love" is a popular song, originally written by Gerhard Winkler and Fred Rauch. The English lyrics were written by Carl Sigman in 1953....
," was again recorded by Laine and Whitfield, but became a bigger U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
for Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
in 1954.
Whitfield's version reached the top spot in the UK Singles Chart first, followed swiftly by Laine's. On 13 November 1953, for the first but not only time in chart history, one version of a song was knocked off the top by another version of the same song. Four weeks later, for the only time in British chart history, the two versions of the same song were at number one together.
Recorded versions
- Frankie Laine (1953)
- David Whitfield (1953)
- Nat King Cole (1954)
- Ray PetersonRay PetersonRay Peterson was an American pop music singer who was best remembered for singing "Tell Laura I Love Her" and "Corrine, Corrina" in the 1960s.-Career:...
(1960) - P. J. ProbyP. J. ProbyP.J. Proby is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who has portrayed Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison in musical theater productions as well as enjoying a successful recording career in his own right....
(1965) - Barbara DicksonBarbara DicksonBarbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...
(1976)
See also
- "Answer Me, My LoveAnswer Me, My Love"Answer Me, My Love" is a popular song, originally written by Gerhard Winkler and Fred Rauch. The English lyrics were written by Carl Sigman in 1953....
" - List of number-one singles from the 1950s (UK)