I Got a Name (song)
Encyclopedia
"I Got a Name" is a 1973 single recorded by Jim Croce
and written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox. It was released in 1973 and was the first single from his album of the same name
. It reached a peak of 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 after spending 17 weeks on the chart. "I Got a Name" was also the theme song for the 1973 movie The Last American Hero
. It was also featured in the movies The Ice Storm
and Invincible
. *Carl Hancock Rux
recorded an R&B song titled "I Got a Name" in 2004 on his album Apothecary Rx
. It is not a cover version.
and how he will use it to live his dreams and be free. The narrator will live each day to the fullest so that "life don't pass me by".
, "The single is more grand in lyric and melody content than Croce's usual funky material which makes interesting contrast. They also listed the song as a top single pick.
in 1973.
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
and written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox. It was released in 1973 and was the first single from his album of the same name
I Got a Name
-Songwriting:Croce's wife Ingrid Croce has an autobiographical cookbook, Thyme In A Bottle, in which she writes interesting anecdotes about Jim. What she wrote about "I'll Have To Say 'I Love You' in a Song" is this....
. It reached a peak of 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 after spending 17 weeks on the chart. "I Got a Name" was also the theme song for the 1973 movie The Last American Hero
The Last American Hero
The Last American Hero is a 1973 sports drama film based on the true story of American NASCAR driver Junior Johnson...
. It was also featured in the movies The Ice Storm
The Ice Storm (film)
The Ice Storm is a 1997 drama film directed by Ang Lee, based on the 1994 novel of the same name by Rick Moody.The film features an ensemble cast of Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, and Sigourney Weaver...
and Invincible
Invincible (2006 film)
Invincible is a 2006 family film directed by Ericson Core set in 1976. It is based on the true story of Vince Papale, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976–78. Mark Wahlberg portrays Papale and Greg Kinnear plays Papale's coach, Dick Vermeil...
. *Carl Hancock Rux
Carl Hancock Rux
Carl Hancock Rux is an award winning writer and performer; former Head of the MFA Writing for Performance Program at the California Institute of the Arts and has taught or been in residence at University of California–San Diego, Stanford University, University of Massachusetts Amherst,...
recorded an R&B song titled "I Got a Name" in 2004 on his album Apothecary Rx
Apothecary Rx
Apothecary Rx is the second studio album by Carl Hancock Rux, produced by Rob Hyman and Stewart Lerman. The album also features singer Stephanie McKay and contributions from jazz violinist Leroy Jenkins and singer-songwriter Marc Anthony Thompson .- Track listing :# I Got a Name # Me # Ground #...
. It is not a cover version.
Background
In an interview with Billboard magazine writer Norman Gimbel revealed the reason Croce chose to record the song, "Jim liked it because his father had a dream for him but had died before his son's first success."Content
The song is about the narrator's pride for his family nameFamily name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
and how he will use it to live his dreams and be free. The narrator will live each day to the fullest so that "life don't pass me by".
Reception
In 1973, it was written in BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, "The single is more grand in lyric and melody content than Croce's usual funky material which makes interesting contrast. They also listed the song as a top single pick.
Live performances
Jim Croce performed the song live on an episode of the The Midnight SpecialThe Midnight Special (TV series)
The Midnight Special is an American musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman. It premiered as a special on August 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on February 2, 1973; its last episode was on May 1, 1981...
in 1973.
Cover versions
- Sammy KershawSammy KershawSamuel Paul "Sammy" Kershaw is an American country music artist. A third cousin of Cajun fiddler Doug Kershaw and ex-husband of Lorrie Morgan, he has been active in country music since 1991. He has released ten studio albums, with three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications...
covered the song on the compilation album Jim Croce: A Nashville TributeJim Croce: A Nashville TributeJim Croce: A Nashville Tribute is a tribute album released by River North Records in 1997. The album consisted of contemporary country artists performing cover versions of songs by Jim Croce.-Track listing:...
in 1997. - Jerry ReedJerry ReedJerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
covered the song on his tribute album to Jim Croce Jerry Reed Sings Jim CroceJerry Reed Sings Jim CroceJerry Reed Sings Jim Croce is an album by American country music singer Jerry Reed, released in 1980. The album is a tribute album for Jim Croce who died in 1973 in a plane crash during the peak of his career. Seven of the ten songs were singles released by Croce. The album peaked at number 56 on...
. - Helen ReddyHelen ReddyHelen Reddy , often referred to as "The Queen of 70s Pop", is an Australian-American singer and actress. In the 1970s, she enjoyed international success, especially in the United States, where she placed fifteen singles in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Six of those 15 songs made the Top 10...
covered it on her 1974 album Love Song for Jeffrey. - Lena HorneLena HorneLena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...
recorded the song on her album The Lady and Her MusicLena Horne: The Lady and Her MusicLena Horne: The Lady and Her Music was a 1981 Broadway musical revue, written for and starring American singer and actress Lena Horne. The musical was produced by Michael Frazier and Fred Walker, and the subsequent musical soundtrack was produced by Quincy Jones. The show opened on May 12, 1981,...
. - Rex Allen Jr. recorded the song on his album Brand New in 1978.
- Lori LiebermanLori LiebermanLori Lieberman is an American singer. She was born in California and grew up in Switzerland, and signed a deal with Capitol Records in the early 1970s. Her self-titled debut album featured the tune "Killing Me Softly with His Song", written by composers Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel after...
covered it on her album Piece of Time.
Weekly charts
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 10 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 4 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 8 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary | 5 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 | 3 |
| Netherlands Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
36 |
| Australian Kent Music Report | 40 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 | 68 |
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 | 78 |