You Didn't Have to Be So Nice

Album: Daydream (1965)
Charted: 10
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This paean to how nice John Sebastian was being being treated by his girl was one of Lovin' Spoonful's poppier offerings. Sebastian recalled to Uncut magazine: "We started off in a world of 45 singles, so our only game still was three minutes of heaven every time out. That was all. We thought of it as four man Phil Spector music. We wanted it to have that big quality, but we didn't want to hire the Wrecking Crew."

    "Our producer Eric Jacobsen understood something about this funny hybrid that we were working on," he continued. "Things like the chimes on 'You Didn't Have to Be So Nice' were our attempts at creating that kind of vibe: harmonica, slide whistles and penny whistles. I hate calling it folk-rock. They called The Byrds folk-rock and then they were too lazy to come up with something else for our band, but we weren't really drawing from the Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan catalogue. It was a time of a lot of seriousness, and a lot of fake seriousness, and people talking about Important Things. And Loving Spoonful didn't really go for that. We were just trying to entertain."
  • Brian Wilson stated the Lovin' Spoonful's vocal layering on this song inspired The Beach Boys hit "God Only Knows."
  • A cover by Amy Grant and Kevin Costner is sung during the end credits of Costner's 1997 film, The Postman.

Comments: 1

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 11, 1965, the Lovin' Spoonful performed "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice" on the Los Angeles-based syndicated television program, 'Shivaree'...
    At the time the song was at #39 on Billboard's Top 100 chart, six weeks later it would peak at #10 {for 1 week} and it spent nine weeks on the Top 100...
    It was the quartet's second of seven straight records to make the Top 10; started with "Do You Believe in Magic" {#9 for 1 week}, this one , "Daydream" {#2 for 2 weeks}, "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?" {#2 for 2 weeks}, "Summer in the City" {#1 for 3 weeks}, "Rain On The Roof" {#10 for 1 week}, and finally "Nashville Cats" {#8 for 1 week}...
    Between 1965 and 1969 the quartet had fourteen records on the Top 100 chart, with the above seven making the Top 10...
    Their one Top 20 record was "Darling Be Home Soon", it peaked at #15 {for 1 week} in 1967...
    Sadly, lead guitarist 'Zal' Yanovsky passed away at the young age of 57 on December 13th, 2002...
    May he R.I.P.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Dave Mason

Dave MasonSongwriter Interviews

Dave reveals the inspiration for "Feelin' Alright" and explains how the first song he ever wrote became the biggest hit for his band Traffic.

Peter Lord

Peter LordSongwriter Interviews

You may not recognize his name, but you will certainly recognize Peter Lord's songs. He wrote the bevy of hits from Paula Abdul's second album, Spellbound.

Rock Stars of Horror

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.