About the song
Background
- Original Composition: “Mr. Lonely” was co-written by Bobby Vinton and Gene Allen. Vinton initially included the song in his 1962 album Roses Are Red.
- Unexpected Hit: The song didn’t gain immediate popularity. However, it found an audience with American soldiers serving in the Vietnam War. Their requests propelled it to become a belated number one hit in 1964.
- Enduring Legacy: “Mr. Lonely” solidified Bobby Vinton’s status as a pop star and has become one of his signature songs.
Lyrics
- Plaintive and direct: The lyrics are simple and straightforward, making the pain of loneliness immediately relatable.
- Speaker’s Identity: The speaker is a soldier, away from home on duty.
- Isolation and longing: He emphasizes his isolation (“I have nobody for my own”) and how forgotten he feels (“I get no letters in the mail”).
Themes
- Loneliness: The most obvious and central theme is the profound loneliness felt by the speaker due to separation.
- Longing for Connection: The soldier expresses a deep desire for simple human connection – someone to call or a letter to receive.
- Isolation of War: While not explicitly political, the song alludes to the emotional toll of war and the sense of being forgotten by those back home.
- Resilience: Despite the sadness, there’s a flicker of hope at the end. The soldier wishes to “go back home,” implying an enduring spirit.
Video
Lyrics
Lonely, I’m Mr. LonelyI have nobody for my ownNow I am so lonely, I’m Mr. LonelyWish I had someone to call on the phone
Now I’m a soldier, a lonely soldierAway from home through no wish of my ownThat’s why I’m lonely, I’m Mr. LonelyI wish that I could go back home
Letters, never a letterI get no letters in the mailI’ve been forgotten, yes, forgottenOh, how I wonder, how is it I failed
Now I’m a soldier, a lonely soldierAway from home through no wish of my ownThat’s why I’m lonely, I’m Mr. LonelyI wish that I could go back home