Patsy Cline – Walkin’ After Midnight

I’ve always liked Patsy Cline…her voice was so good.  Fellow blogger Dana mentioned her name in the comments and I’m surprised I’ve never done a Cline post.

She was born Virginia Patterson Hensley. Known in her youth as “Ginny,” she began to sing with local country bands while a teenager, sometimes accompanying herself on guitar. By the time she had reached her early 20s, Cline was promoting herself as “Patsy” and was on her way toward country music stardom.

This song came out in 1957 but her voice sounds so fresh and vibrant. This was her first hit. It was a big crossover hit after she performed it on the variety show Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts and won that night’s competition.

At only 15 years old, songwriter Alan Block wrote the original version of “Walkin’ After Midnight” in 1954. The song was based on a personal experience of Block’s, in which he found himself taking a solitary midnight stroll through the city streets. Block’s friend Donn Hecht later collaborated with him on the song, and the two fine-tuned its lyrics and melody.  It was originally intended for Kay Starr, a pop and jazz singer but she turned it down.

Cline didn’t like the song when she heard it but compromised with the record company (Four Star Records) and she recorded it. It was first released by Lynn Howard and the Accents the year before but wasn’t a hit.

The song peaked at #12 on the Hot 100 and #2 on the Country Charts in 1957.

Walkin’ After Midnight

(Wa-wa-walking, wa-wa-walking)
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 (wa-wa-walking, wa-wa-walking)

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 (wa-wa-walking, wa-wa-walking)

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 (Wa-wa-walking, wa-wa-walking)

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 (wa-wa-walking, wa-ooh-ah)

…

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

30 thoughts on “Patsy Cline – Walkin’ After Midnight”

    1. Thanks Randy…I’ve heard her songs off and on through out my life…I’ve recently been really listening to her…I can see why people love her so much.

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  5. Like most, “Crazy” is my favorite song of hers.
    I find the video interesting though… “Patsy, let’s have you fold and put up some fabric while you sing your song. It’ll make it much more visually interesting for the audience and more relatable since this is what most normal women of the day actually do.” Lol.

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    1. I know right? I was thinking that myself….that is why I had to include it. Like it had something to do with Walking After Midnight….more like Folding After Midnight.

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    1. When I first read about her as a teen…I thought is she a legend because of her death? Uh NO…I heard her music and thought…no she is just a legend and would be regardless.

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  9. Love that voice! And this is a great song. Funny, if you read the stories behind the recordings, it doesn’t sound like she liked a lot of the songs she recorded, but she still sounded great. That’s a pro…

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      2. I was going to ask you if she wrote any…I looked it up and she did write some of her earlier stuff…co wrote.

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    1. She is up there with me also. The big Four for me are Loretta, Emmylou, Dolly, and Cline. There are more that I like but those are my personal favorites.
      I promise you…you will like one of my posts tomorrow…I would bet a million on it.

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      1. Loretta, Tammy, Linda Ronstadt, and Patsy are probably mine. I like Emmylou also but more as a harmony singer. Will be looking for that post tomorrow.

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