Ricky Nelson was a rockabilly guy and a very good one. He gets lost in the shuffle because he was a huge teenage actor at the time on his family’s show…The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Actors that switch to music are sometimes looked over but Nelson was very successful. All in all, he released 94 singles and 24 studio albums in his career. When talking about the fifties though….Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and Elvis get brought up a lot but Nelson not as much.
t’s Late was written by Dorsey Burnette and his cousin Johnny Burnette and Dorsey released it in 1958. The following year Nelson recorded and released the song. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard 100 and #3 in the UK in 1959.
I went through a Ricky Nelson phase when I graduated high school in 1985. I purchased a greatest hits package and was learning more songs from him. I wanted to go see him perform that year and I kept waiting for him to appear somewhere because I heard he was touring. This was before the internet and you had to look at the newspapers for any announcements and listen to the radio. Musicians would play at places and you would never know sometimes.
I never got a chance to see him because on December 31, 1985, his chartered jet crashed killing him and six other passengers.
I have to admit…I like the Dorsey Burnette version of this also.
It’s Late
It’s late, it’s lateWe gotta get on homeIt’s late, it’s lateWe’ve been gone too long
Too bad, too badWe shoulda checked our timeCan’t phone, can’t phoneWe done spent every dime
It’s late, it’s lateWe’re ’bout to run outta gasIt’s late, it’s lateWe gotta get home fast
Can’t speed, can’t speedWe’re in a slow-down zoneBaby, look at that clockWhy can’t it be wrong
If we coulda left home at a quarter to nineWoulda had fun and plenty of timeWe got started just a little bit lateHope this won’t be our last date
Look up, look upIs that the moon we see?Can’t be, can’t beLooks like the sun to me
It’s late, it’s lateI hate to face your dadToo bad, too badI know he’s gonna be mad
It’s late, it’s lateWe gotta get on homeIt’s late, it’s lateWe’ve been gone too long
It’s late, it’s lateWe’re ’bout to run outta gasIt’s late, it’s lateWe gotta get home fast
Can’t speed, can’t speedWe’re in a slow-down zoneBaby, look at that clockWhy can’t it be wrong
If we coulda left home at a quarter to nineWoulda had fun and plenty of timeWe got started just a little bit lateHope this won’t be our last date
Look up, look upIs that the moon we see?Can’t be, can’t beLooks like the sun to me
It’s late, it’s lateI hate to face your dadToo bad, too badI know he’s gonna be mad
It’s late, it’s lateWe gotta get on homeIt’s late, it’s lateWe’ve been gone too long
It’s late
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