Detroit City (song)

About the song

Prior to Bare's success with "Detroit City," country singer Billy Grammer released his version of the Danny Dill and Mel Tillis-penned song. His version was known as "I Wanna Go Home" and peaked at number 18 on the Billboard country charts in 1963.

The song is the working man's complaint, and "with its melody reminiscent of the 'Sloop John B', describes the alienation felt by many rural Southerners in the mid North," wrote country music historian Bill Malone. "Here, [Bare's] earnest and plaintive interpretation lends great believability to this mournful song." Bob Dylan describes the song as "...not so much the song of a dreamer, but the song of someone who is caught up in a fantasy of the way things used to be. But the listener knows that it just doesn't exist." Bare's version begins in the key of E, until after the repeat of the refrain, he makes a transition to the key of B for the second verse and refrain. He makes a transition back to the key of E as the song fades out. Bare's version also features a spoken recitation following half of the second verse, before singing the refrain before the song's fade.

The song's peak in popularity during the summer of 1963 came during a time when Tillis was still experiencing most of his success as a songwriter. He had previously written hits for Webb Pierce, Brenda Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and others, but this was one of his earliest major hits as a songwriter outside of those artists.

The song won Bobby Bare a Grammy for the Best Country and Western Recording at the 6th Annual Grammy Awards in 1963.

Chart performance

Billy Grammer's "I Wanna Go Home" reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in early 1963. That summer, Bobby Bare's retitled version peaked at number six on the Billboard country chart (it spent total of 18 weeks on this chart) and number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Billy Grammer

Bobby Bare

Tom Jones

Dean Martin

Other Covers

• Jan & Dean covered the song for their 1963 album Surf City And Other Swingin' Cities.
• Dean Martin covered the song on his 1970 album My Woman, My Woman, My Wife.
• Arthur Alexander released the song as a single in 1965 backed with "You Don't Care," but it did not perform well and proved to be his last single for Dot Records. Nonetheless, historian Nat Hentoff described Alexander's rendition as "deeply compelling," stating that it "[eclipsed] the original version by Bobby Bare." Alexander biographer described it as "a stirring rendition." No Depression magazine states that Alexander's version "mourns a rural-to-urban migration that black Americans could relate to every bit as much as poor Southern whites."
• Jerry Lee Lewis released a version on his 1965 album Country Songs for City Folks.
• Charley Pride released his cover of the song as the b-side of his 1966 hit "Just Between You and Me". Both songs were later included on the 1967 album Pride of Country Music.
• In 1967, the song was also covered by Tom Jones, who had a UK Top 10 hit with it. The Jones version features Bare's spoken Recitation as well. Jones also included the song on his 1967 album Green, Green Grass of Home.
• Solomon Burke covered the song in 1967 as well for his album King Solomon. His version reached #10 in the Canadian RPM Soul charts on January 27, 1968.
• Dolly Parton covered the song on her 1980 album 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs.

References

References

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4. [http://musicvf.com/song.php?id=86944 Billy Grammer's "I Wanna Go Home" Chart Position] Retrieved June 17, 2012.
5. Malone, Bill, "Classic Country Music: A Smithsonian Collection" ((booklet included with ''[[Classic Country Music: A Smithsonian Collection]]'' 4-disc set). Smithsonian Institution, 1990).
6. (2022). "[[The Philosophy of Modern Song]]".
7. "Bobby Bare's Grammy history". [[Grammy Award]].
8. "Bobby Bare's Billboard chart history".
9. Hallberg, Eric. (1993). "Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 - 19. 8. 1975". Drift Musik.
10. (1998). "Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 - 74". Premium Publishing.
11. Whitburn, Joel. (2004). "The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition". Record Research.
12. Whitburn, Joel. (2013). "Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012". Record Research.
13. "RPM Top 100 Singles - April 29, 1967".
14. "RPM Top 100 Singles - November 7, 1970".
15. Younger, Richard. (2000). "Get a shot of rhythm and blues: the Arthur Alexander story". University of Alabama Press.
16. Hentoff, Nat. (2009). "American Music Is". [[Da Capo Press]].
17. Unterberger, Richie. (1999). "Music USA: A Rough Guide". Rough Guides.
18. (1998). "No Depression Issues 13-16".
19. [http://www.allmusic.com/album/country-songs-for-city-folks-mw0000838224 Jerry Lee Lewis, ''Country Songs for City Folks''] Retrieved June 17, 2012.
20. (1966). "Country Charley Pride -- "Just Between You and Me" (1967, Single)".
21. "''The Pride of Country Music'': Charley Pride: Songs, Reviews, Credits".
22. "Official Charts Company". [[Official Charts Company]].
23. "RPM Top 30 Soul - January 27, 1968".
24. "www.allmusic.com".