"He" is a song about
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
, written in
1954. The song made the
popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
charts the following year.
The music was written by Jack Richards, with lyrics by Richard Mullan. The song was originally published by Avas Music Publishing, Inc.
Background
The final lines in the two verses state:
"Though it makes him sad
to see the way we live,
He'll always say: 'I Forgive' ".
First recordings
The first recording to be released was by
Al Hibbler, whose version reached No. 4 on ''
Billboard''s chart of Best Sellers in Stores, No. 7 on ''Billboard''s
Top 100, No. 7 on ''Billboard''s chart of Most Played by Jockeys, and No. 8 on ''Billboard''s chart of Most Played in Juke Boxes. Despite its popularity with listeners to Radio Luxenbourg, the song never reached the British charts - mainly due to the ban imposed by the BBC on popular songs with what they termed pseudo-religious lyrics and both Hibbler's and the version by the McGuire Sisters lost out due to that decision.
The McGuire Sisters
The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters:
* Ruby Christine McGuire (July 30, 1926 – December 28, 2018)
* Dorothy "Dottie" McGuire (February 13, 1928 – September 7, 2012)
* Ph ...
also released a version of the song in 1955, which reached No. 10 on ''Billboard''s chart of Most Played in Juke Boxes, No. 12 on ''Billboard''s Top 100, No. 12 on ''Billboard''s chart of Best Sellers in Stores, and No. 16 on ''Billboard''s chart of Most Played by Jockeys.
The song was ranked No. 33 on ''Billboard''s ranking of "1955's Top Tunes", based on the Honor Roll of Hits and No. 34 on ''Billboard''s ranking of "1956's Top Tunes".
Other recordings
*
Andy Williams released a version on his 1960 album, ''
The Village of St. Bernadette''.
*
The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Lo ...
released a version of the song in 1966, which spent eight weeks on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 18.
Hot 100 - The Righteous Brothers He Chart History
''Billboard.com''. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
*Diana Ross & The Supremes
The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...
covered the song for '' In Loving Memory'', a 1968 gospel compilation featuring Motown Records artists.
*Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
recorded the song in 1960 at his home in Bel Air.
References
External links
Lyrics of this song
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:He (song)
1954 songs
1955 singles
1966 singles
The McGuire Sisters songs
The Righteous Brothers songs
Andy Williams songs
Decca Records singles
Coral Records singles
Verve Records singles
Number-one singles in Australia
Christian songs
Gospel songs
Songs banned by the BBC