Gene Pitney

I heard some sad news yesterday. One of my teen idols, Gene Pitney, died April 5 in a hotel room in Cardiff, Wales. He was on a tour of Britain, and at a concert just the night before, received a standing ovation. He was only 65.

Gene Pitney had numerous hit songs back in the '60's, including "Town Without Pity", "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance", "Only Love Can Break A Heart", "Every Breath I Take", and "24 Hours From Tulsa", just to name a few. I was surprised to learn that he wrote "He's a Rebel", performed by the Crystals, and "Hello Mary Lou" that I remember best performed by Ricky Nelson.

Another one of my heroes is gone. I'll never forget you, Gene Pitney. Your music will live in my heart forever.

"Town Without Pity"

(written by D. Tiomkin and N. Washington)

When you're young and so in love as we
And bewildered by the world we see
Why do people hurt us so
Only those in love would know
What a town without pity can do

If we stop to gaze upon a star
People talk about how bad we are
Ours is not an easy age
We're like tigers in a cage
What a town without pity can do

The young have problems, many problems
We need an understanding heart
Why don't they help us, try to help us
Before this clay and granite planet falls apart

Take these eager lips and hold me fast
I'm afraid this kind of joy can't last
How can we keep love alive
How can anything survive
When these little minds tear you in two
What a town without pity can do

How can we keep love alive
How can anything survive
When these little minds tear you in two
What a town without pity can do

No, it isn't very pretty
What a town without pity can do