Bowling Green (song)

For the like-named 1956 song and album by the Kossoy Sisters, see Bowling Green (album).

"Bowling Green" is a 1967 single by The Everly Brothers and was written by Terry Slater and Jacqueline Ertel, Phil Everly's wife at the time; Slater was the duo's bass player.

"Bowling Green"
Single by The Everly Brothers
from the album The Everly Brothers Sing
B-side	"I Don't Want to Love You"
Released	1967
Recorded	1967
Length	2:40[1]
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	Terry Slater and Jacqueline Ertel
Producer(s)	Dick Glasser
The Everly Brothers singles chronology
"The Devil's Child" (1967) "Bowling Green" (1967) "Mary Jane" (1967)

Background

The song is about Bowling Green, Kentucky, which is about an hour's drive from Central City, Ky., where Don Everly was born. The song features a wind ensemble, and the Everly Brothers imitate the sounds of country guitars by singing "Ching" repeatedly.

This is not the traditional song "I Wish I Was In Bowling Green", also known as "Bowling Green", recorded by Cousin Emmy, the Weavers, the Kossoy Sisters and others.^[2]

Chart performance

The song peaked at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 8, 1967.^[3] It was the last time the Everly Brothers cracked the Hot 100 until 1984. Outside the US, "Bowling Green" reached No. 1 in Toronto, Canada for the week of June 17, 1967.