"I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" is a 1947 song by

Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the ''Billboard'' cou ...

. The song was Eddy Arnold's third number one on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Juke Box Folk Records chart. "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" spent 46 weeks on the chart and 21 weeks at number one. The song also served as Arnold's first

crossover hit Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers who appeal to different types of audience. This can be seen, for example, (especially in the United States) when a song appears on two or more of the record charts which track differ ...

, peaking at number 22 on the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart.

Writers

It was written by Eddy Arnold, Hal Horton and Tommy Dilbeck and first recorded by

in 1947. It went to number one on the country charts and stayed there for 21 weeks, making it the 2nd longest running number one country hit of all time. (It actually tied " I'm Movin' On" by

Hank Snow Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a Canadian-American country music artist. Most popular in the 1950s, he had a career that spanned more than 50 years, he recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on t ...

and "

In the Jailhouse Now "In the Jailhouse Now" is an American novelty blues song originally found in vaudeville performances from the early 20th century,Webb Pierce Michael Webb Pierce (August 8, 1921 – February 24, 1991) was an American honky-tonk vocalist, songwriter and guitarist of the 1950s, one of the most popular of the genre, charting more number one hits than any other country artist during the ...

but they are listed 1-2-3 on the all-time chart.) The Arnold version was the first of three songs through the mid 1950s to spend 21 weeks at No. 1. In 1950,

's " I'm Movin' On" would match the record, and in 1955, their record would become jointly held by

Webb Pierce Michael Webb Pierce (August 8, 1921 – February 24, 1991) was an American honky-tonk vocalist, songwriter and guitarist of the 1950s, one of the most popular of the genre, charting more number one hits than any other country artist during the ...

with his cover of

Jimmie Rodgers James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmi ...

' "

In the Jailhouse Now "In the Jailhouse Now" is an American novelty blues song originally found in vaudeville performances from the early 20th century,music downloads A music download (commonly referred to as a digital download) is the digital transfer of music via the Internet into a device capable of decoding and playing it, such as a personal computer, portable media player, MP3 player or smartphone. This ...

and online streaming) – "

Cruise A cruise is any travel on a cruise ship. Cruise or Cruises may also refer to: Tourism * Booze cruise * Music cruise * River cruise Aeronautics and aircraft * Cruise (aeronautics), a distinct stage of an aircraft's flight * Aviasouz Cruise, a R ...

" by

Florida Georgia Line Florida Georgia Line is an American country music duo founded in 2010 by Tyler Hubbard of Georgia and Brian Kelley of Florida, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. Their 2012 debut single " Cruise" broke two major sales records: it was ...

matched the record of 21 weeks at No. 1. On August 10, "Cruise" spent its 22nd week at No. 1, surpassing the Arnold, Snow and Pierce songs for most weeks at No. 1.

Covers

*The song went on to become a major country crooner standard. The song also appeared on the Billboard pop chart in 1951 with recordings by

Eddie Fisher Edwin Jack Fisher (August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010) was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular artists during the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show, ''The Eddie Fisher Show''. Actress Eli ...

and

Toni Arden Antoinette Ardizzone (February 15, 1924 – May 29, 2012), known professionally as Toni Arden, was an American traditional pop music singer. Family Arden was born in New York City. Her father, Phillip Ardizzone, was a singer with the Metropolit ...

. Among others the songs was covered by: *

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 ...

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodt ...

Slim Whitman Ottis Dewey Whitman Jr. (January 20, 1923 – June 19, 2013), known as Slim Whitman, was an American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist known for his yodeling abilities and his use of falsetto. He claimed he had sold in excess of ...

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...

*In 1977, the song was covered by

Jan Howard Jan Howard (born Lula Grace Johnson; March 13, 1929 – March 28, 2020) was an American country music singer and songwriter. As a singer, she placed 30 singles on the ''Billboard'' country songs chart, was a Grand Ole Opry member and was nomin ...

. Her version, released on

Con Brio Records Con Brio Records was a record label active from 1975 to 1979 based in Nashville, Tennessee. Jeff Walker was co-founder and President of the label with his father Bill Walker. It was named Billboard Magazine's "Best New Country Label of the Year" ...

, became a minor hit on the ''

'' country chart.

Popular Culture

*It was played by

Don Walser Donald Ray Walser (September 14, 1934 – September 20, 2006) was an American country music singer. He was known as a unique, award-winning yodeling "Texas country music legend." Music career Walser was born in Brownfield, Texas and raised i ...

in the 1998 film

The Hi-Lo Country ''The Hi-Lo Country'' is a 1998 American Western film directed by Stephen Frears, starring Billy Crudup, Penélope Cruz, Woody Harrelson, Cole Hauser, Sam Elliott, Patricia Arquette, Enrique Castillo, and Katy Jurado. It is set in post-World War ...

, a performance regarded as one of the highlights of the movie.Bob Graham, "Hi-Lo Cowboys at Home on the Range" San Francisco Chronicle, January 15, 1999. http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Hi-Lo-Cowboys-at-Home-on-the-Range-Harrelson-2951762.php

References

External links

Eddy Arnold, "I'll Hold You in My Heart"
{{authority control 1947 songs Eddy Arnold songs Glen Campbell songs Jan Howard songs Songs written by Eddy Arnold