- Written by Alan Block and Don Hecht
- The song was originally written for jazz vocalist Kay Starr, but her recording company Capitol did not think it suited Starr's image
- The song was then recorded by Patsy Cline and released as a single in 1957
- Country music legend Patsy Cline was born Virginia Patterson Hensley on 9/8/32 in Winchester Virginia, and died tragically in a plane crash on 3/5/63
- She is buried in a cemetery in Winchester Virginia
- She got her start and was originally noticed performing on local radio and TV shows in the Washington DC area, including Connie B. Gay's "Town and Country" show
- Although the song was to become the first hit of her career, she originally didn't think the song was appropriate for her, but her record company management persuaded her to record the song anyway, something they would do for other songs throughout her career
- The song reached #2 on the Billboard Country Singles chart, and a respectable #12 on the Hot 100 chart
- The popularity of the song was significantly influenced by her performance of the song on live TV on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Show (she won the talent contest handily)
- In 1973 Patsy Cline became the first female solo artist inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame
- She won a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995
- In 2001, she was voted by artists and members of the Country Music industry as the all time Greatest Women of Country Music
- Patsy Cline charted a total of 13 songs into the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and 20 songs on the Billboard Country Music singles chart
- Walkin After Midnight was the first of her charted singles
- There have been many cover versions of the song. Some
of the other artists who have recorded this song include:
- Loretta Lynn
- The Oak Ridge Boys
- Garth Brooks
- The Cowboy Junkies
- Madeleine Peyroux
- Otis Williams and His Charms
- Taylor Horn
- It has also been performed extensively by Kellie Pickler, the Season 5 American Idol participant
- She finished 6th and has been signed to a record contract, which is a good thing, considering that on an appearance of "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader" she stated that she thought that Europe was a country, had never heard of Hungary, and thought the piccolo belonged to the percussion family of instruments because it started with a "P"
Download "Walkin After Midnight" MP3 from Amazon.com
| Patsy Cline | Walkin' After Midnight - Original |
| Patsy Cline (Live) | Walkin' After Midnight |
| Kellie Pickler | Walkin' After Midnight |
| Madeleine Peyroux | Walkin' After Midnight (LP Version) |
| Mandy Barnett | Walkin' After Midnight |
| Nighthawks @ Wolf Trap | Walkin' After Midnight |
| Kathy Morrow (Jazz) | Walkin' After Midnight |
| Benita Hill (Jazz) | Walkin' After Midnight |
| Wanda Jackson | Walkin' After Midnight |
| Stevie Vallence | Walkin After Midnight |
Oracle Band MP3 / RealAudio Samples
An excerpt from a live Oracle Band performance of this song is available as both a streaming RealAudio format, or as a higher quality downloadable MP3. Select the version you'd prefer.
Song Lyrics - Walkin After Midnight
I go out walkin' after midnight
Out in the moonlight
Just like we used to do
I'm always walkin' after midnight
Searchin' for you
I walk for miles along the highway
Well, that's just my way
Of sayin' I love you
I'm always walkin' after midnight,
Searchin' for you
I stop to see a weepin' willow
Cryin' on his pillow
Maybe he's cryin' for me
And as the skies turn gloomy
Night winds whisper to me
I'm lonesome as I can be
I go out walkin' after midnight
Out in the moonlight
Just hopin' you may be
Somewhere a-walkin' after midnight,
Searchin' for me
I stop to see a weepin' willow
Cryin' on his pillow
Maybe he's cryin' for me
And as the skies turn gloomy
Night winds whisper to me
I'm lonesome as I can be
I go out walkin' after midnight
Out in the moonlight
Just hopin' you may be
Somewhere a-walkin' after midnight,
Searchin' for me
I stop to see a weepin' willow
Cryin' on his pillow
Maybe he's cryin' for me
And as the skies turn gloomy
Night winds whisper to me
I'm lonesome as I can be
I go out walkin' after midnight
Out in the moonlight
Just hopin' you may be
Somewhere a-walkin' after midnight,
Searchin' for me
| Note that the lyrics posted here are those as interpreted and performed by The Oracle Band. In a few cases we have taken some liberties with the lyrics to make them more appropriate for tasteful gatherings. Their use here is intended as an aid for people in selecting music for their wedding reception or private party, and may not be reproduced for any commercial, for-profit use. |
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Patsy Cline
If you're a Patsy Cline fan then the collections don't get any better than this for the price. 22 Patsy Cline classics for less than $10! In addition to Walkin After Midnight, you get: I Fall To Pieces |
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Remembering Patsy Cline
This is a really nice collection of Patsy Cline songs remade by many of the artists that she influenced. You get: Crazy |
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DVD
Patsy Cline died in a plane crash on March 5, 1963. Her musical legacy lives on in "Remembering Patsy", a heartfelt celebration featuring 17 song clips, and 10 rare never before seen TV appearances & video clips You'll meet Patsy through her intimate home movies, her personal letters, and the fond reminiscences of Patsy's husband, Charlie Dick, and Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Mel Tillis, Roy Clark, Eddy Arnold, Bill Anderson and Jan Howard. A new generation of stars, including Trisha Yearwood, k.d. lang, Ronna Reeves, Lisa Stewart, and Marsha Thornton, add insight into Patsy's influence and proof positive that Patsy Cline does live on in her music. |
