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Heartaches by the Number

1959 single by Guy Mitchell From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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"Heartaches by the Number" is a popular country song written by Harlan Howard,[3] and published in 1959. The sheet music was a best seller in both the US and Britain in January 1960.[4]

Quick Facts Single by Guy Mitchell, B-side ...
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Background

The song mentions three heartaches, listed by the narrator:

The first one is when the narrator's lover leaves him. The lover returns, but never means to stay, and this causes the second round of anguish. Thirdly, the lover calls stating she plans to return but the narrator waits in vain for the knock on his door and suggests that she has lost her way.

The chorus tells how the lover loves the narrator "less every day"; however, the narrator declares, "Each day I love you more." Although it is apparent that he has "heartaches by the number" and "a love that I can't win", the narrator asserts that the day he stops counting is the "day my world would end".

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Guy Mitchell version

The biggest hit version was recorded by Guy Mitchell on August 24, 1959. The recording was released by Columbia Records on August 31, 1959, as catalog number 41476. It spent the weeks of December 14 and December 21, 1959 at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[5] After "Singing the Blues", this was Mitchell's second pop chart topper; it was also his last top-40 single on the Billboard charts. Columbia first issued a mono recording by Mitchell as a 7" 45 rpm single, which became the hit. Columbia later issued a stereo version of the song, also by Mitchell; however, the mono and stereo issues are two different recordings. In fact, the hit version has never appeared in stereo and only has appeared on a lone compact disc release (Hit Parade Records 12311, Hard to Find Jukebox Classics 1959: Pop Gold.) The video game Fallout: New Vegas does not feature his original Columbia Records version nor the later stereo version; rather, it is a 1980 re-recording made for K-Tel records.

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Other notable recordings

Chart performance

Ray Price

More information Chart (1959), Peak position ...

Guy Mitchell

More information Chart (1959), Peak position ...

All-time charts

More information Chart (1958–2018), Position ...

Johnny Tillotson

More information Chart (1965), Peak position ...

Jack Reno

More information Chart (1972), Peak position ...
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See also

References

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