Nobody's Child (song)

"Nobody's Child"
Single by Tony Sheridan and The Beatles
A-side	"Ain't She Sweet" "Sweet Georgia Brown"
Released	4 June 1964
Format	7" single
Recorded	June 22–23, 1961[1]
Genre	Rock
Length	2:58
Label	Atco Records
Writer(s)	Cy Coben, Mel Foree
Producer	Bert Kaempfert
Tony Sheridan and The Beatles singles chronology
"Please Please Me" / "From Me to You" (1964) "Sweet Georgia Brown" / "Nobody's Child" (1964) "All My Loving" / "This Boy" (1964)

"Nobody's Child" is a song written by Cy Coben and Mel Foree. It was first recorded by Hank Snow in 1949 and it became one of his standards, although it did not chart for him. The song has been covered a number of times in the UK; it was on Lonnie Donegan's first album in 1956 (which went to #2 as an album in the UK), it was covered by Tony Sheridan and The Beatles in 1961 in Hamburg^[1], and in 1969 Karen Young took the song to #6 on the UK charts and used it as the title track on her album. In 1969 Hank Williams Jr. did a version of it that made it to #46 on the US Country charts. The Traveling Wilburys' 1990 version made it to #44 on the UK charts.

The song lyrics are about an orphan whom no one wants to adopt because he is blind:

I'm nobody's child, I'm nobody's child
Just like a flower I'm growing wild
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smile
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child

Release details for The Beatles' cover

Singles

• "Ain't She Sweet" / "Nobody's Child" — released in 1964 by Polydor.
• "Sweet Georgia Brown" / "Nobody's Child" — released in 1964 by Atco.

Albums

• The Beatles' First — released 4 August 1967 in the UK.
• In the Beginning (Circa 1960) — released 4 May 1970 in the US.
• Very Together — released October 1969 in Canada.

Personnel

• Tony Sheridan — lead vocals
• John Lennon — rhythm guitar
• Paul McCartney — bass guitar
• George Harrison — lead guitar
• Pete Best — drums
• Peter Klemt — engineer

Traveling Wilburys release

The Traveling Wilburys version of "Nobody's Child" was the first track on the benefit album Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal, released on 24 July 1990. Wilbury member George Harrison had also appeared on the 1961 Beatles/Tony Sheridan version. Other members of the Traveling Wilburys on this track were Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty.

Cover Versions

• Agnes Chan on her 1971 album Will The Circle Game Be UnBroken with the local Life Records.
• Irene Ryder on her 1971 album Irene Ryder with EMI Regal Records

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Russell, Jeff (1989) [1982]. The Beatles Album File and Complete Discography (Revised/second ed.). Blandford Press. pp. 4–10. ISBN 0-7137-2065-4. 

External links

• Ain't She Sweet / Nobody's Child at Discogs