Country music in the early part of the 1960s will always be timeless, regardless of how many decades have passed. These are three of the best country songs from 1961, which still make me smile when I listen to them today.
“Tennessee Flat Top Box” by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash wrote “Tennessee Flat Top Box” by himself. The song is part of his Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash.
“Tennessee Flat Top Box” tells the story of a young boy who dreams of becoming a country singer. The song says in part, “And all the girls from there to Austin / Were slipping away from home and putting jewelry in hock / To take the trip, to go and listen / To the little dark-haired boy that played the Tennessee flat top box / And he would play.”
This song became a Top 15 hit for Johnny Cash. Ironically, 26 years later, his daughter, Rosanne Cash, had a No. 1 hit with this song.
“San Antonio Rose” by Floyd Cramer
“San Antonio Rose” is part of Floyd Cramer’s On The Rebound record. “San Antonio Rose” was written by Bob Wills. It was Wills who first released the song as Bob Wills and His Playboys in 1939. In 1961, Cramer had his second Top 10 hit with this song.
The song begins with, “Deep within my heart lies a melody / A song of old San Antone / Where in dreams I live with a memory / Beneath the stars, all alone.”
Other artists also recorded “San Antonio Rose”, including Asleep at the Wheel, Gene Autry, Jo Stafford, and Pat Boone, among others. This song became Cramer’s biggest crossover hit, reaching the Top 5 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.
“I Fall To Pieces” by Patsy Cline
Admittedly, Patsy Cline’s “I Fall To Pieces” is actually a sad song. But with Cline’s incredible vocal delivery, not to mention the nostalgic feeling in this classic song, it makes it impossible not to smile at least a little while listening to it.
“I Fall To Pieces” was written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard. The song, Cline’s first No. 1 single, is part of Showcase, her sophomore record. “I Fall To Pieces” says, “I fall to pieces / Each time I see you again / I fall to pieces / How can I be just your friend?“
Before Cline recorded this song, it was pitched to Brenda Lee, who turned it down.
Photo by Gai Terrell/Redferns
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