Songs I Wish I Wrote: "Poor Jenny" by the Everly Brothers

On the first day of school, or a new job, my Dad would always say "First impressions are lasting impressions." I guess that goes for first dates too. This brilliant song is about a first date gone wrong. The original version has the fight breaking out at 1am, but was changed to 10 pm, I guess because one might ask what a "good girl" was doing out that late. My dad gave me his original 45 when I was a kid, and it made an impression.

The single was the B-Side of "Take a Message to Mary" and made it to #22 on the American charts. It was written by prolific husband and wife duo Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, who brought us other Everly hits like "Bye Bye Love" and "All I Have to Do is Dream" as well as "Raining in My Heart" (Buddy Holly) and 3000 other songs. Boudleaux passed away in 1987 and Felice passed away in 2003 in Gatlinburg, TN, where she and her husband owned and operated the Rocky Top Village Inn. 

I took my little Jenny to a party last night

At ten o`clock (one o'clock) it ended in a heckuva fight

When someone hit my Jenny she went out like a light

Poor Jenny

And then some joker went and called the cops on the phone

So everybody scattered out for places unknown

I couldn`t carry Jenny so I left her alone

Poor Jenny

Well Jenny had her picture in the paper this mornin`

She made it with a bang

Accordin` to the story in the paper this mornin`

Jenny is the leader of a teenage gang

Jenny has a brother and he`s hot on my trail

Her daddy wants to ride me out of town on a rail

I hope I`ll be around when Jenny gets out of jail

Poor Jenny

I went downtown to see her, she was locked in a cell

She wasn`t very glad to see me, that I could tell

In fact, to tell the truth, she wasn`t lookin` too well

Poor Jenny

Her eye was black, her face was red, her hair was a fright

She looked as though she`d been a`cryin` half of the night

I told her I was sorry, she said `Get out of sight`

Poor Jenny

It seems a shame that Jenny had to go get apprehended, a heckuva fate

This party was the first one she ever had attended

It had to happen on our very first date

Jenny has a brother and he`s hot on my trail

Her daddy wants to ride me out of town on a rail

I hope I`ll be around when Jenny gets out of jail

Poor Jenny

Here's an early unreleased version: