Walkin' After Midnight

Album: Patsy Cline (1957)
Charted: 12
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was Patsy Cline's first hit song. She was signed to Four Star Records, who were a popular Country music label and had her record this song, which was written by staff songwriters Alan Block and Don Hecht. Cline didn't particularly like the song, but it suited her emotional delivery as she delivered this tale of loneliness and lost love.
  • The song got a big boost when Cline performed it on the variety show Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and won that night's competition. It became a crossover hit, charting at #2 Country and #12 Pop, and established Cline as a Country singer capable of mainstream success. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • This was featured in 3 different episodes of the ABC TV show Lost. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Leslie - Sherbrooke, QC
  • Garth Brooks covered this on his fourth album, The Chase. He admired Cline's strong mid-range vocal style, which he used as inspiration for his vocal treatment on the tune. Brooks' mother, Colleen McElroy Carroll, was also a singer in the 1950s and performed with Cline at the Louisiana Hayride, a country music show that was broadcast on radio and television.

Comments: 6

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1957 {April 11th} Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight"* peaked at #2 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's 'Most-Played Country & Western Records On Juke Boxes' chart, for the two weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Gone" by Ferlin Husky...
    "Walkin' After Midnight" reached #12 on Billboard's Top 100 chart...
    Between 1957 and 1999 the Winchester, Virginia native had twenty one records on the Billboard C&W charts, nine made the Top 10 with two reaching #1, "I Fall To Pieces" for two weeks in August of 1961 and "She's Got You" for four weeks in March of 1962...
    Two of her twenty one charted records were duets, one with Jim Reeves {"Have You Ever Been Lonely (Have You Ever Been Blue), #5 in 1981} and one with John Berry {"There He Goes", #70 in 1999}...
    Sadly, Patsy Cline, born Virginia Patterson Hensley, passed away at the young age of 30 on March 5th, 1963 {died in the same plane crash that claimed the lives of Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins}...
    May all three R.I.P.
    * "Walkin' After Midnight" was Patsy Cline's first of two of her records to peak at #2, her other #2 record was "Crazy" for two weeks in January of 1962...
    And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Most-Played C&W Records On Juke Boxes' Top 10 on April 11th, 1957:
    At #3. "There You Go" by Johnny Cash
    #4. "All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley
    #5. "Young Love" by " by Sonny James
    #6. "White Sport Coast" by Marty Robbins
    #7. "Am I Losing You" by Jim Reeves
    #8. "Honky Tonk Song" by Webb Pierce
    #9. "I'm Tired" by Webb Pierce
    #10. "Too Much" by Elvis Presley
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 21st 1957, Patsy Cline performed "Walkin' After Midnight" on the CBS-TV program 'Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts'; and was judged by the audience (via applause meter) as that night's winner...
    And less than a month later on February 17th her covered version entered Billboard's Top 100 chart; eventually it peaked at #12 and spent 16 weeks on the Top 100...
    It reached #2 on Billboard's C&W Tracks chart...
    It would be three years before she would enter the Top 100 again; in 1961 her "I Fall To Pieces" peaked at #12 and "Crazy" reached #9...
    R.I.P. Ms. Cline, born Virginia Patterson Hensley, (1932 - 1963).
  • Carolyn from Knoville, TnI think Patsy's unique voice was perfect for this. I'd love to hear some country music like this today.
  • Annie from El Paso, TxNot to put down Patsy, but Nina Diaz from the band Girl in a Coma totally improved this song. Her voice is so captivating!
  • Briar from Hazard, KyI do like this song. Nobody could do it better than Patsy. On a side note, Garth Brooks covered this song (Why Lord Why?) and ruined it.
  • Krista from Carbondale, PaKellie Pickler's version of this song is really good.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Devo

DevoSongwriter Interviews

Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale take us into their world of subversive performance art. They may be right about the De-Evoloution thing.

Guy Clark

Guy ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett are just a few of the artists who have looked to Clark for insightful, intelligent songs.

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)Songwriter Interviews

Chad tells tales from his time as drummer for Nirvana, and talks about his group Before Cars.

Mike Scott of The Waterboys

Mike Scott of The WaterboysSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Whole Of The Moon" and "Red Army Blues," and why rock music has "outlived its era of innovation."

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New York

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New YorkSong Writing

Our chat with Barney Hoskyns, who covers the wild years of Woodstock - the town, not the festival - in his book Small Town Talk.