Somethin' Else by Eddie Cochran

Album: The Best Of Eddie Cochran (1959)

Charted: 22 58

License This Song

Songfacts®:

In this song, Eddie Cochran has the hots for a girl, but can't get her attention. He also covets a new convertible, and figures the two would go together - that would be somethin' else.

In the end, he doesn't get the car but does get the girl, to his great surprise. That's really somethin' else.
Eddie's brother, Bob Cochran, wrote "Somethin' Else" with Sharon Sheeley, who became Eddie's girlfriend. There weren't many female songwriters at the time, but Sheeley's first effort, "Poor Little Fool," became a #1 hit for Ricky Nelson. She met Eddie when she asked him to record one of her songs.
On April 17, 1960, Eddie Cochran was killed in a car accident at age 21. Sheeley and Gene Vincent were also in the car and injured in the crash, but Cochran went through the windshield.

Sheeley continued to write songs for artists like Brenda Lee and Irma Thomas. She died in 2002 at age 62.

Comments: 9

Steve from Buena Park, CaEvery lyrics site gets the words to 'Somethin Else' wrong, at least as sung on the record. This is the proper lyric in stanza 3, line 4: "I'll buy that car tonight before it gets sold."
Bill from UsaViktor, the drums are much more like "Keep-A-Knockin."
Viktor from VÃ¤nersborg, SwedenThis song has the same drum beat as Little Richard's "Rip it Up", Sharon did this to impress on Eddie who was a big fan of Little Richard.
Jon from Great Yarmouth, United KingdomCripes Jeff, I'm staggered that ANYBODY remembered The Move version!! Especially as I'm not sure if The Move were particularly well known in the States.I actually bought this EP and still have it. Must be around '66 '67. The Move sort of evolved into ELO. Roy Wood I believe had the original idea for the band but Jeff Lynne took it on and the rest is history. Good trivia question there, What links Roy Orbison with 60s vocalist Roy Wood The Move?
Tom from Pittsburgh, PaI saw Keith Richards open an Xpensive Winos show with this once.

I'd like to hear that UFO version.
Mike from Victoria, B.c., CanadaBritish hard rock group UFO also recorded a cover of "Somethin' Else" on their 1982 album 'Mechanix'.
Swansong200 from Calhoun, GaActually Wade, Zeppelin oftened played this from 1970-1971 as an encore, back to back with c'mon everybody or summertime blues.
Jeff from San Jose, CaThe Move recorded a live EP called Something Else by the Move which included this song. The New York Dolls have also performed this song. Recently (circa 2005) there was a version performed by Little Richard and Tanya Tucker as a duet.
Wade from Katy, TxLed Zeppelin performed this song live once. You can hear their version on the BBC Sessions CD.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

When I Think of YouJanet Jackson

When "When I Think of You" hit #1, Janet and Michael Jackson became the first siblings with chart topping solo hits in the United States.

Hey MamaDavid Guetta

The bedrock of David Guetta's Nicki Minaj-featuring single "Hey Mama" is a sample of "Rosie," a 1940s prison recording from folk archivist Alan Lomax that songwriter Esther Dean first showed the French DJ on YouTube.

What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)Information Society

The Information Society hit "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" samples the voice of Leonard Nimoy (Spock) from an episode of Star Trek.

Gangnam StylePsy

Psy's "Gangnam Style" refers to a section of Seoul, South Korea, that is very fashionable. The guy in the song has all the right moves and loves the ladies.

Me And Julio Down By The SchoolyardPaul Simon

Mickey Mantle and John Madden both appear in the video for "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard" by Paul Simon. Biz Markie and Big Daddy Kane do a rap intro.

Big LoveFleetwood Mac

"Big Love" is a showcase song for Lindsey Buckingham and the first single from Fleetwood Mac's 1987 album Tango In The Night, but he left the group soon after the album was released and the band didn't perform it live until he returned 10 years later.