Unleashing Heartfelt Verses: The Captivating Journey of Donna Fargo‘s Smash Hit “That Was Yesterday”
Donna Fargo’s artistic path took an unexpected turn when she first encountered “That Was Yesterday.” Initially dismissing it as a “mistake,” she believed the song mirrored the smoothness of Patsy Cline’s iconic sound, rather than reflecting her own musical identity. Fargo, a self-proclaimed writer and interpreter, sought to infuse her own emotions into her compositions.
Despite the financial investment already made in the original recording, Fargo was determined to salvage the essence of “It Was Yesterday.” Armed with a tape of the session, she ventured to find a way to enhance the existing material. Exploring various approaches, including alternating between spoken verses and the pre-recorded vocal, proved futile. However, with a slight title adjustment to “That Was Yesterday,” the piece seamlessly transformed into a captivating recitation from start to finish.
Initially released solely as an album cut for “Fargo Country,” fate intervened when a persistent radio disc jockey championed the song’s cause, propelling it towards the summit of success. Despite Warner Bros.’ initial resistance to issuing the track as a single, the unwavering support of the determined DJ, coupled with the growing interest from other stations, finally convinced the record executives of the song’s potential. Thus, on April 30, 1977, “That Was Yesterday” officially hit the airwaves as a single. Within a mere eight weeks, the captivating composition soared to the top of Billboard’s country chart on July 2, 1977, marking a significant milestone as the first Warner Bros. country single to achieve this feat. Notably, “That Was Yesterday” remains the last all-spoken-word recording to claim the coveted #1 spot on the Billboard charts.
For Donna Fargo, the key to successful recitations lay in pouring one’s heart into the words. Fortunately, with “That Was Yesterday,” the task was slightly less daunting as she penned the song herself. Her creative journey continued as she crafted another stirring recitation, paying tribute to Elvis Presley on the day of his passing. Collaborating with David Briggs, the King’s former keyboard player who had contributed his talents to all of Fargo’s records except her initial breakthrough hit, “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA,” Donna further explored the power of spoken word in her music.
- Album: Shame On Me
- Released: 1977
- Artist: Donna Fargo
- Genre: Country
Lyrics
You know, I’ve always believed
That when you feel somethin’
Especially somethin’ good for someone
You shouldn’t keep it from them
You should let him know
But I also believe that
If you think it’s love
There’s really no need to bring it up
If you know there’s no chance for it to grow
But it seems like
I’m always coming up with contradictions
Because now I find that
What I believe and what I feel
Are two very different things
And those feelings I’ve kept all to myself
Are gonna come out now
Even though they’ve changed
So you see
I guess I was right in one way
That I never told you this
And I don’t really know why I’m telling you now
But I’d just kinda like you to know that
There couldn’t be a you and me
I might’ve changed my life for you
And you might’ve changed for me
If there weren’t so many ifs and buts
And if you had wanted it to be.
But because of the way I am
And the way you are
We never took the chance, did we?
Call it respect, because we’re not free
Call it fear of rejection because of our pride
Or call it just plain old common sense
That it would be just too risky
And too stick a situation
Because we wouldn’t know exactly where we were going
And we’d be afraid to take the ride
Call it whatever, but I wanted you to know that
I like you very much
And you’re the kind of person I could love
You’re honest, sincere, compassionate, not afraid
To be too gentle and not afraid to be too strong and
You got that certain kind of something
People are always looking for and rarely find and
Never seem to get enough of and somehow
It doesnt seem wrong to tell you that
No, we never kissed and never touched each other
But our hearts have and our souls have and
If we gaved them half the chance
Look out, for I’ll bet they can start a fire
That nobody in the whole world could put out
But that was yesterday, wasn’t it?
And things are so different now
See I was right not to ever tell you
Because I always knew
It would of never really had a chance to grow
And though I’ll use my better judgement again
And never mail this letter
I still kinda wanted you to know!
