(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance

(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance Liberty Valance.jpg single Gene Pitney Only Love Can Break a Heart Take It Like a Man 1962 * Rock and rollDave Marsh The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made https://books.google.com/books?id=5t5DYDniSHEC 1989 Plume 0-452-26305-0 444 country folk 2 49 Musicor Burt Bacharach & Hal David Town Without Pity 1961 Only Love Can Break a Heart 1962 "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, which was released by Gene Pitney in May 1962. It spent 13 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 4,http://www.billboard.com/artist/302676/gene-pitney/chart Gene Pitney - Chart History - The Hot 100 Billboard.com June 13, 2017 while reaching No. 2 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade,http://www.1050chum.com/index_chumcharts.aspx?chart=271 1050 CHUM - CHUM Charts, chart No. 271 dead June 4, 1962 CHUM https://web.archive.org/web/20060603033410/http://www.1050chum.com/index_chumcharts.aspx?chart=271 June 3, 2006 June 13, 2017 mdy-all and No. 4 on New Zealand's "Lever Hit Parade".http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=Lever%20hit%20parades&qyear=1962&qmonth=Jul&qweek=12-Jul-1962#n_view_location Flavour of New Zealand: Lever Hit Parade July 12, 1962 June 13, 2017 The song was not used in the film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and there is disagreement about whether that had ever been intended.Dominic, Serene (2003). Burt Bacharach, Song by Song: The Ultimate Burt Bacharach Reference for Fans, Serious Record Collectors, and Music Critics, Music Sales Group. p. 75. Retrieved October 13, 2016. Nevertheless, Pitney stated that the recording session was paid for by Paramount, and it was midway through the session that he found out the song would not be included in the film, when one of the orchestra members told him that the movie had been released already. Session drummer Gary Chester played on the recording. The Pitney and the Jimmie Rodgers versions of the song are noted for a solo violin that plays in the upper register. Both versions are also noteworthy for the chorus, in which a quick half-second strike on the tympani is heard, depicting the gun shots: "The man who shot Liberty Valance, (bong) He shot Liberty Valance, (bong), He was the bravest of them all". The first verse describes the outlaw's intimidating presence and ability with a gun. The second focuses on the man who comes to town prepared to defeat Valance with the law alone. Later in the song, the law-book-toting hero falls in love with a girl who, when he is forced to confront Valance, waits alone and prays, knowing that: "When two men go and face (or "fight") each other, only one returns". With some exceptions, the lyrics generally parallel the film's plot. However, in the film, Ransom Stoddard, the lawyer thought to have shot Valance, did not remain in town because of "the love of a girl", but out of stubbornness. And although "the girl", Hallie, was attracted to Stoddard more than to her beau, Tom Doniphon, and worried about Stoddard facing Valance, she is never depicted praying for Stoddard or discouraging him from the fighting the duel. The song was ranked No. 36 in the Western Writers of America's list of the top 100 Western songs of all time, as compiled from a survey of its members.The Top 100 Western Songs Western Writers of America 2010 Western Writers of America American Cowboy http://www.americancowboy.com/culture/top-100-western-songs https://web.archive.org/web/20101019002745/http://americancowboy.com/culture/top-100-western-songs 19 October 2010 dead Jimmie Rodgers released a cover similar in form to the Gene Pitney version. The Greg Kihn Band included their take on their 1980 album Glass House Rock. James Taylor recorded it for his 1985 album That's Why I'm Here. Chart performance Chart (1962)PeakpositionAustralia1Canada - CHUM Hit Parade2New Zealand - Lever Hit Parade4US Billboard Hot 1004 References Category:1962 songs Category:1962 singles Category:American country music songs Category:American folk songs Category:American rock-and-roll songs Category:Musicor Records singles Category:Gene Pitney songs Category:Songs about fictional male characters Category:Songs with music by Burt Bacharach Category:Songs with lyrics by Hal David