Lonely Days
Encyclopedia
"Lonely Days" is a 1970 song
by the Bee Gees
, featured on their album 2 Years On
. The song incorporated the innovative structure and knack for changing tempos exemplified by the second side of The Beatles' Abbey Road album, released the previous year and a clear influence on this single. "Lonely Days" shifts back and forth between a piano-and-strings-dominated verse reminiscent of "You Never Give Me Your Money" and "Golden Slumbers," and an up-tempo stomping chorus that echoes "Carry That Weight;" perhaps as an acknowledgment of the debt, as the record approaches its fade-out, the lead singer's voice is filtered to sound like John Lennon's. The record's success helped establish the band as expert pop stylists. It was their first Top Five hit in the US, peaking at number three in the Billboard Hot 100
and reaching number one on the Cashbox and Record World
charts.
In many interviews, the Bee Gees have said that they wrote this song and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
" in the same night that they reunited.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
, featured on their album 2 Years On
2 Years On
2 Years On is the Bee Gees' eighth album released in December 1970. The album reached #32 on the U.S. charts, and sold 375,000 copies worldwide...
. The song incorporated the innovative structure and knack for changing tempos exemplified by the second side of The Beatles' Abbey Road album, released the previous year and a clear influence on this single. "Lonely Days" shifts back and forth between a piano-and-strings-dominated verse reminiscent of "You Never Give Me Your Money" and "Golden Slumbers," and an up-tempo stomping chorus that echoes "Carry That Weight;" perhaps as an acknowledgment of the debt, as the record approaches its fade-out, the lead singer's voice is filtered to sound like John Lennon's. The record's success helped establish the band as expert pop stylists. It was their first Top Five hit in the US, peaking at number three in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and reaching number one on the Cashbox and Record World
Record World
Record World magazine was one of the three main music industry trade publications in the United States, along with Billboard and Cash Box magazines. It was founded in 1946 under the name Music Vendor, but since 1964 changed it to Record World, under the ownership of Sid Parnes and Bob Austin, both...
charts.
In many interviews, the Bee Gees have said that they wrote this song and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is an adult contemporary ballad released by the Bee Gees in 1971. The song had been written by Barry and Robin Gibb in August 1970, when the Gibb brothers had reconvened following a period of break-up and alienation...
" in the same night that they reunited.
Chart performance
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 9 |
| Austria | 15 |
| Belgium | 7 |
| Brazil | 2 |
| Canada | 1 |
| Denmark | 3 |
| France | 48 |
| Germany | 25 |
| Netherlands | 3 |
| New Zealand | 10 |
| United Kingdom | 33 |
| United States | 3 |