It Seems Dead Teenager Songs Were All The Rage In The 1960's

The other day as I was riding in the car I heard a song I had never heard before.  What was interesting is that, it was a song from the 1960's.  We were listening to Sirius 60's on Channel 6, and a song by the Shangri-Las came on.  They were best known for their song, "Leader of the Pack."  However, this song I had never heard before was called, "Give Us Your Blessing."

As I had never heard it I was somewhat paying attention to it.  It seemed it was a typical 1960's love song about wanting to get married to your best gal/guy and kissy, kissy stuff.  You know, the usual.

So this is how the song went.

Run, run, run
Mary, run, run, run
Jimmy, run, run, run
Mary, run, run, run

 

Mary and Jimmy were both very young
But as much in love
As two people could be
And all they wanted
Was to share that love eternally

They went to their folks they told them
That someday soon they'd be wed
Their folks just laughed
And called them kids
So Mary said

 

Give us your blessing
Please don't make us run away
Give us your blessing
Say you'll be there on our wedding day

 

They wouldn't have laughed at Mary
If they could have seen through the door
But Jimmy was waiting in the car
While Mary begged once more

Give us your blessing
Please don't make us run away
Give us your blessing
Say you'll be there on our wedding day

 

So, so far it seems pretty normal right?  Just a below average 1960's song that I described above.  That is until the next lyrics.

 

Well as they drove off they were crying
And nobody knows for sure
That, that's why they didn't see the sign
That road detour

The next day they found them
Mary and Jimmy were dead
And as their folks
Knelt beside them in the rain

 They couldn't help but hear
The last words that Mary and Jimmy had said

 

Give us your blessing
Please don't make us run away
Give us your blessing
Say you'll be there on our wedding day

 

Run, run, run
Mary, run, run, run
Jimmy, run, run, run
Mary, run, run, run

Wait, what?  Dead?  I mean, we went from wanting to get married, and now everyone is dead?  You know what this means.

 

 

So it seems I had to do a little research on this song.  It turns out that the Shangri-Las were not the first to perform this song.  That goes to Ray Peterson.  Also, he did not write it.  It seems it was written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich who I found out liked to write a lot of dead teenager songs.  The song hit #70 for Ray Peterson and #29 for the Shangri-Las. 

 

I guess every musical decade has their "thing."  In the 80's it was awesome (and some not so awesome) guitar solos.  In the 90's it was everyone trying to sound like Nirvana.  Now-a-days everything is autotuned beyond belief.  But in the 1960's it was songs about dead teenagers. 

 

So remember when they talk about the good ole' days, remember this kids.  They tend to forget the worst parts.  Yes, 1960's music was great, but not all of it was "that" great.  Remember, they tend to only play the best hits of the 60's on the radio.  You don't get the so-so ones being played that often.

 

And now, if you really want to hear the song...  (But don't say I didn't warn you.)