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This song is about Jeanette Clark and J.L. Hancock, who were both 16 years old when their car hit a tractor-trailer on a road in rural Barnesville, Georgia. They were on a date a few days before Christmas in 1962. A local gas station attendant helping with the recovery of the bodies did not recognize his own daughter. Hancock and Clark's friend Wayne Cooper, who was riding with them, was killed instantly. Their two other friends, Jewel Emerson and Ed Shockley, survived with serious injuries. Wayne Cochran's drummer had been dating Jeannette Clark's sister at the time of the wreck.
This was written by Wayne Cochran, who lived on Route 1941 in Georgia, which was about 15 miles away from the crash. It was a busy road, and Cochran saw lots of accidents on it. He was working on a song based on all the crashes he saw, and was about halfway done with it when he heard about the wreck in Barnesville. There was an intense emotional response from the community after the tragedy, and Cochran used those feelings to finish the song, which he dedicated it to Jeanette Clark.
Cochran's version was a local hit in Georgia, which prompted a Texas record company to record it with J. Frank Wilson and release it nationally.
Cochran named the song "Last Kiss" because it was the dramatic high point of the song, and also because there was a song out by Floyd Cramer called "Last Date."
Copies of Cochran's original version were sold out of the trunks of cars; Major Bill Smith (producer of "Hey Paula" by Paul and Paula) bought a copy and persuaded J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers to cover it.
Cochran went on to have limited success in the Miami area playing Rhythm & Blues with his band Wayne Cochran And The C.C. Riders. He wrote "Going Back To Miami," which was featured on the Blues Brothers live album. The bass player for Wayne Cochran and the C.C. Riders was Jaco Pastorius, who went on to revolutionize the electric bass. (thanks, Rick - Wanganui, New Zealand and Steve - cincinnati, OH)
In 1973, this was revived in Canada by the group Wednesday. Their version went to #1 there and earned several Juno nominations, and an RPM award foroutstanding record sales in Canada. It also was released in the US the same year, selling over 200,000 copies. (thanks, Brad Wind - Miami, FL, for above 3)
Pearl Jam introduced this to a new audience when they released it as a single in 1999. Their version also went to #2.
The band's producer, Son Roush, subsequently split the group to place lead singer J. Frank Wilson with better musicians. Four months after the release of this song, the new band were touring in Ohio. At about 5:15 a.m., Roush apparently fell asleep at the wheel. The car drifted left of center and rammed head-on into a trailer truck. Roush was killed instantly. Wilson survived with a few broken ribs and a broken ankle, but went right on with the tour, taking only a week off. People still remember him coming out on the stage on crutches to sing "Last Kiss" and "Hey, Little One." The second accident is what pushed this song to #2 on the national charts.
Wilson later retired from music and went to work in a nursing home. (Thanks to Bluejay Young for this information). (thanks, Ekristheh - Halath, for above 2)
Comments (23):
Al Jourgensen of Ministry
In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.
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My grandson and I are in a bet of who did this song, I say J Frank Wilson and he says Del shannon. Would you please tell us who did this orginally. Thank You Diana Jenkins
MA Kroll Denver, Co
Its a really god song to.
-Jamie Cotto, 14.
debbie, wichita, Kansas
It reminds me of me and my brother, because we used to go rallying in my brother's car put the bush and we used to crash the car all the time and i was always put in hospital.. Once i was put in hospital and the last thing my brother gave me was a hug and kiss before we got in the car and we were going 180km in the car and we crashed and i was stuck in the car and my brother had to ring the ambulance and they came and the car caught a light as soon as i was but i was unconcious and i was in a coma for 6 months and everyone thought i wasn't going to make it but luckily i did...
I hope you don't mind if this gets posted and hope you like, send comments back to me about your likes or dislikes about it.
Songwriter88
Last Miss
Chorus
Oh, where oh where can my babies be?
The department of social services took them away from me.
They've gone to foster parents and they say I got to be good,
if I want to see my babies again, I better do what I should.
I've got to find a way to get off these drugs,
or I'll never see my babies playing again on my rugs.
I've got to quit buying those tees and ares, (ts + rs)
and I shouldn't have stolen those two nice cars.
I got caught involved with credit card fraud,
and in my mug shot, I looked really odd.
I've got to go to court, because they want me to pay,
for something else I did wrong on one other day.
I've got to quit shoplifting just to get some money for a fix,
I guess drugs and children well they just don't mix.
I've got to make sure in the future that the needle doesn't win,
or they'll lock me up, institutionalize or put me in the looney bin.
I've got to stop spending money just to get a few sets,
and then wonder why I can't afford cigarettes.
Repeat chorus.
I've got to look up, Lord, instead of looking at my arm, which is down,
or I might wind up horizontal six feet underground.
I want to learn things and go to university,
but something is wrong with my head and my poor memory.
When I wake up in the morning I feel so darn groggy,
maybe I should try strong coffee or that kava kava remedy.
A woman gave me her card, I think her name is Michelle,
she's a natural health consultant, maybe she'll be able to tell.
Now that my babies are gone, it really does hurt,
I just wanted to get high, but only got a handful of dirt.
I've really got to find a way to get off of welfare,
or my babies will grow up and say I just didn't care.
I have such a hard time trying to manage my money,
it's the root of all evil and I don't find that funny.
If they take away my babies for good, I hope they give me one last kiss,
because if I break the law again, it'll be my very last miss.
Repeat chorus.
You may repeat the ''last kiss'last miss' sentence here if you wish.
Oooh ~ ~ Oooh ~ ~ Oooh ~ ~ Oooh.
Sing to the tune called 'Last Kiss' (sung by J. Frank Wilson And The Cavaliers in 1964 says songfacts.com and purelyrics.com says Wayne Cochran wrote it) or it can be rapped. Copyright 2005 by Mark L. Harris, contact at 306-546-5403 or M_L_Harris @hotmail.com, assist me in finding a singer, you will receive royalty or you can help invest in making a demo. More songs and poems available by request via e-mail. I give all credit to God for this blessing who I asked to help me come up with this gift according to His Will for people who relate to drugs & missing babies after they get caught committing a crime or sin.