"Hello Walls" is an American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...

song written by

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

and first recorded by

Faron Young Faron Young (February 25, 1932 – December 10, 1996) was an American country music producer, musician, and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s. Hits including " If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" and " Live Fast, Love Hard, ...

. It became a massive hit in

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

, reaching #1

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

and spent 23 weeks on the chart. On other charts, it peaked at #12 pop, and was Young's only top 40 pop hit in the United States. Young's version featured Floyd “Lightnin’” Chance on

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar ...

. “Hello Walls” introduced Nelson to a national audience. In 1996, Nelson recorded a rock version of the song with the band The Reverend Horton Heat for the album '' Twisted Willie''.

Content

The lyrics portray a man's lonely conversation with his walls, window and ceiling after having been jilted by his lover.

Chart performance

Other recordings

* Ralph Emery had an answer song called "Hello Fool" in 1961, which peaked at #4 on the Country Charts. That song was Emery's only hit as a singer. *

recorded it for his 1962 debut album '' And Then I Wrote''. * Johnny Tillotson recorded it on his 1962 album '' It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin'''. *

Johnny Burnette John Joseph Burnette (March 25, 1934 – August 14, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter of rockabilly and pop music. In 1952, Johnny and his brother, Dorsey Burnette, and their mutual friend Paul Burlison formed the band that became ...

recorded it on his 1962 album Johnny Burnette's Hits and Other Favorites *

Esther Phillips Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Jones; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals.Santelli, Robert (2001). ''The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia''. Penguin Books. p. 376. . She ...

recorded it for

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most ...

in 1964. *

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

recorded it for his 1965 album '' Bing Crosby Sings the Great Country Hits''. *

Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he bega ...

recorded it for his 1966 album ''Bright Lights and Country Music''. *

Brook Benton Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), better known as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960 ...

recorded it for his 1966 album ''My Country''. * The Reverend Horton Heat recorded it for the 1996 tribute album ''Twisted Willie''. * Sheb Wooley, in his "Ben Colder" persona, recorded a parody about a drunk talking to the wall. * David Kersh recorded the song for his 1998 album if I never stopped loving you

In popular culture

's version made an appearance on NBC's ''

Parks and Recreation ''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 1 ...

'' when character

Ron Swanson Ronald Ulysses Swanson is a fictional character portrayed by Nick Offerman from the situation comedy television series ''Parks and Recreation'' on NBC, created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. In the series, Ron is the director of the Parks a ...

was shown to be listening to the song instead of listening to his subordinates' workplace complaints. *"Hello Walls" makes a brief appearance in the

Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr. (; April 29, 1951February 18, 2001) was an American professional Stock car racing, stock car driver and team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), ...

biopic, "3."

References

External links

Willie Nelson's Official Website
1961 singles Faron Young songs Willie Nelson songs Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Songs written by Willie Nelson Song recordings produced by Ken Nelson (American record producer) 1961 songs Capitol Records singles {{1960s-country-song-stub