In 1962, American country singer Johnny Tillotson released one of the most well-received covers of the 1949 country-pop hit “Send Me the Pillow You Dream On” as part of his album, It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin’.
The song was originally sung by Hank Locklin in 1949. Over the course of his musical career, Hank has made a name in the industry, becoming one of the most renowned singers of his generation. With over 70 chart singles and two number-one hits, Hank’s songs, particularly “Send Me the Pillow You Dream On,” have become a standard for the Nashville sound.
Since its release, well-known artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams, Jr., Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Hank Snow, Dwight Yoakam, and many others have already covered the song.
However, the most notable one is Johnny Tillotson’s 1962 version.
Johnny Tillotson’s Version
The song simply talks about a broken-hearted man who is writing to his ex-girlfriend, hoping that they can mend things out and reconcile in the end. However, after days and weeks of waiting, the man didn’t hear a word from her. Because of this, he decided to give up and continue living his life to the fullest.
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This meaning was greatly emphasized in the original version. But if we were to compare how Johnny delivered the emotions and meaning behind the song, we can say that it is rather subtler and fairytale-like.
Compared to the original, his voice is more mellow and in tone, making it seem like an entry song of a Disney movie. Because of this, his version made it to the charts, landing at no. 5 on the US Billboard Easy Listening and no. 3 on the Norway VG-lista charts.
Moving forward is hard, but with a little push, change can eventually lead us to something better. If you need that little push, try listening to Johnny Tillotson’s cover of “Send Me the Pillow You Dream On” below.
