Unveiling the Tale of Patsy Cline’s Iconic Song “I Fall To Pieces”
In the vast realm of music, there exists a cohort of artists known as “one-hit wonders.” They shine brightly for a fleeting moment before fading into obscurity. Patsy Cline, with her mesmerizing rendition of “Walking After Midnight” in 1957, seemed poised to defy this label. Her sultry voice and commanding stage presence hinted at an enduring career. However, despite her initial success, Patsy faced a challenging drought, unable to replicate her early triumph.
Enter songwriter Hank Cochran, who was grappling with his own set of challenges. Struggling to make ends meet as a song plugger for Pamper Music, Hank yearned to move his family from California to the vibrant music hub of Nashville. His life felt like it was falling apart, teetering on the edge of despair. Ironically, it was this despair that would lead to a momentous breakthrough.
One day, Hank visited Harlan Howard, a songwriter with several hits to his name. Harlan, ever the encouraging mentor, listened intently as Hank shared his idea of a song centered around the line “You walk by and I fall to pieces.” With this concept in mind, the first half of “I Fall To Pieces” came together in mere minutes. Hank left, planning to record it later, but Harlan sensed the song’s potential and decided to craft a second verse to complete it.
The lyrics and melody of “I Fall To Pieces” were laden with melancholy, an ode to rejection and heartache that resonated with the trials faced by many songwriters. However, Harlan doubted its potential as a hit. Despite his prolific songwriting streak, “I Fall To Pieces” blended into the backdrop of his catalog without sparking significant interest. It wasn’t until his wife, Jan, stumbled upon his scribbled lyrics that the song gained momentum. Jan recognized its potential and convinced Harlan to allow her to record a demo, which was produced in Pamper Music’s makeshift garage studio.
Armed with the demo, Hank Cochran embarked on a journey to pitch the song to various artists in Nashville. Surprisingly, he faced numerous rejections until Decca producer Owen Bradley expressed keen interest. Owen believed that Brenda Lee, the reigning pop sensation, could turn “I Fall To Pieces” into a smash hit. Brenda, however, deemed the song “too country” for her taste, and her rejection led to a cascade of refusals from other artists within Owen’s stable at Decca.
Undeterred, Owen Bradley turned to an artist who was in desperate need of a hit—Patsy Cline. Although Patsy initially agreed to record the song without hearing it, her opinion changed after listening to Jan Howard’s demo. She vehemently disliked everything about it and demanded changes. Owen, determined to see the song succeed, continued to push her to record it, despite her resistance. The battle of wills might have raged on indefinitely if not for the intervention of Decca’s New York executives. They conveyed their desire for a major hit, and Patsy realized that this could be her last chance at stardom.
On November 16, 1960, in the Quonset Hut studio, Owen Bradley left nothing to chance. He assembled Nashville’s top session players, ensuring that “I Fall To Pieces” would be a breakout hit. Patsy’s deep, pure voice filled the studio with magic as she sang, and by the fourth take, Owen knew they had captured something special. Despite her earlier reluctance, even Patsy admitted that it was extraordinary.
However, the challenges persisted. Decca remained skeptical about releasing the song, given Patsy’s recent chart performance. They demanded 5,000 advance orders, a daunting task at a time when many top hits sold only 30,000 copies. In a final effort to secure support, Patsy and Hank Cochran traveled to Cincinnati to meet with a regional distributor. Patsy performed “I Fall To Pieces” on the spot, impressing the distributor enough to secure the required orders.
“I Fall To Pieces” made its debut on Billboard’s country chart on April 3, 1961, embarking on a slow ascent to the #1 position in an unusually lengthy 19 weeks, ultimately peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. More importantly, the song transformed Patsy Cline into a beloved icon, a torchbearer in the tradition of pop stars like Brenda Lee and Patti Page, defying the boundaries of country music.
Tragically, Patsy Cline’s life and career were cut short by an airplane crash on March 5, 1963. Nevertheless, her legacy endures, and she was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, a testament to her enduring impact as the first woman with an individual career to receive this honor.
“I Fall To Pieces” remains a poignant chapter in Patsy Cline’s remarkable journey, a testament to the power of perseverance, collaboration, and the indomitable spirit of music.
Released: 1961
Album: Showcase
Artists: Patsy Cline, The Jordanaires
Featured artist: The Jordanaires
Genre: Country
Lyrics
I fall to pieces
Each time I see you again
I fall to pieces
How can I be just your friend?
You want me to act like we’ve never kissed
You want me to forget (to forget)
Pretend we’ve never met (never met)
And I’ve tried and I’ve tried
But I haven’t yet
You walk by and I fall to pieces
I fall to pieces
Each time someone speaks your name (speaks your name)
I fall to pieces
Time only adds to the flame
You tell me to find someone else to love
Someone who love me too (love me too)
The way you used to do (used to do)
But each time I go out with someone new
You walk by and I fall to pieces
You walk by and I fall to pieces
