Save Your Heart for Me

Album: A Session with Gary Lewis and the Playboys (1965)
Charted: 2
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was originally recorded by Brian Hyland in 1963, and released as the B-side of his single "I'm Afraid To Go Home." Hyland worked with producer Snuff Garrett, who also produced Gary Lewis & the Playboys. The group had two hits under their belt: "This Diamond Ring" and "Count Me In," so Garrett revived this song for their third single.

    Lewis told Songfacts: "'Save Your Heart For Me' was originally put out by Brian Hyland, and it went nowhere. Absolutely nowhere. Did just nothing. So Snuffy said, 'I want to try this one again. You've had two big hits now, I want to try that one again, slowing it down. Change the pace.'"
  • This was written by Peter Udell and Gary Geld, who wrote many of Brian Hyland's songs, including "Sealed with a Kiss," which Gary Lewis & the Playboys also recorded. The team also wrote "Hurting Each Other" by the Carpenters and "The Tear of the Year" by Jackie Wilson.
  • Lewis was 19 years old when he recorded this song. When we asked if he drew from personal experience to relate to the songs he performed, he said, "In 'Save Your Heart For Me,' I was never hurt by a girl going away for the summer and liking some other guy and then coming home and saying, 'Oh, it was just a fling and I'll hang with you, I'll stay with you.' That stuff never happened. But I guess it does happen to people who take their kids on family vacations to different parts of the country, and they probably find boyfriends there or girlfriends. And then come home and they'll never see that person again. I can relate to that stuff, but it's not personal experience."
  • The Playboys played on this song and all other tracks by the band, but overdubs and solos were done by the top L.A. studio musicians who backed up most of the major west coast singers at the time. On this song, they needed a special performer, however: a whistler. Lewis tried doing the whistling part, but couldn't do it - he couldn't keep a straight face with the guys in the booth looking at him. Their arranger Leon Russell gave it a shot, but he couldn't do it either. After producer Snuff Garrett failed in his attempt, they got someone from the musician's union. "We looked up whistlers from Local 47 in Los Angeles. And there were two guys," said Lewis. "He came in and did it. Just an old guy, very straight-laced: 'This is my job and I'm going to do it.'"

Comments: 1

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 28th 1965, the New York City disc jockey Murray the K's television special, 'It's What's Happening, Baby!', was aired on the CBS-TV network...
    One of the eighteen acts to appear on the show were Gary Lewis and the Playboys; at the time the group's "Save Your Heart for Me" was at #80 on Billboard’s Hot Top 100 chart, just over seven weeks later on August 15th, 1965 it would peak at #2 {for 1 week} and it stayed on the chart for 11 weeks...
    Between 1965 and 1969 the group had fifteen Top 100 records; seven made the Top 10 with one reaching #1, "This Diamond Ring" for two weeks on Valentine's Day in 1965...
    * The week "Save Your Heart for Me" was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "I Got You, Babe" by Sonny and Cher.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas DolbySongwriter Interviews

He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.