You Belong To Me

Album: Hits Of Jo Stafford (1959)
Charted: 1 1
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Songfacts®:

  • This was written in 1952 by Chilton Price, Redd Stewart and Pee Wee King. Stewart was the lead singer of Pee Wee King's Golden West Cowboys, who were a popular Country act and regulars at the Grand Ole Opry. Chilton Price was a female songwriter who started writing this song. In a 2002 interview with The Cincinnati Post, Price claimed that Stewart and King had no part in writing the song, but were still given songwriting credit. Billy Stewart, who is the son of Redd, refutes this claim, and points to his father's solo material as proof that he was a key influence in the making of "You Belong To Me." Here's what Billy told us about the song:

    Chilton Price, music librarian at a radio station in Louisville, had written six songs, which she shyly gave to Pee Wee King to see whether he thought they had any potential, and if they did, to get him to do whatever he thought necessary to them. Pee Wee and Redd Stewart slowly worked their way through the songs, revising the lyrics as needed to make them easier to sing, punching them up as needed, and coming up with improvements on the melodies.

    The original version of the song was recorded by Sue Thompson on Mercury's country label. It was soon covered by Patti Page, whose version was issued by Mercury, with "I Went to Your Wedding" (a bigger Patti Page hit, reaching #1) on the flip side. It entered the Billboard chart on August 22, 1952, and lasted 12 weeks on the chart, peaking at #4.

    A cover version by Jo Stafford became the most popular version. Issued by Columbia Records, it was Stafford's greatest hit, topping the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom (the first song by a female singer to top the UK chart). It first entered the US chart on August 1, 1952 and remained there for 24 weeks.

    The song has also appeared on many movie soundtracks. A version by Jason Wade was part of the soundtrack to the 2001 animated film Shrek. Rocker Tori Amos also sang the classic for the Julia Roberts film Mona Lisa Smile in 2003. Actress Rose McGowan sang it on the soundtrack for the Planet Terror segment of the 2007 movie Grindhouse. While onscreen, Bette Midler sings a fragment of the song (to Nick Nolte) in the 1986 comedy Down and Out in Beverly Hills.

    On February 1, 2007, a short rendition of the song was sung by 64-year-old Sherman Pore as an audition piece for the television show American Idol, as a tribute to his wife who had passed away from cancer two days before. (Learn more about Redd Stewart at reddstewart.com.)
  • In 1962 The Duprees, who were an Italian-American vocal group from Jersey City, New Jersey, made this into a Doo-Wop song that went to #7 in the US. Dean Martin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Patsy Cline, Ringo Starr, and Anne Murray all recorded it, and Bob Dylan did a version of the song for Oliver Stone's movie Natural Born Killers. Vonda Shepard recorded it for the Ally McBeal soundtrack in 1998. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Rachel - Manassas, VA
  • Jo Stafford was one of the most popular female singers of the '50s. In the '30s, she performed with her sisters as The Stafford Sisters and later sang with Tommy Dorsey. She was one of the first artists to record parody versions of hit songs, and was known for her work with the USO where she entertained the troops. She died on July 16, 2008 at age 90. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • Stafford's rendition was used in the 2019 Martin Scorsese film The Irishman.

Comments: 16

  • Generation Z Still Likes Oldies from Tuscany, ItalyI first heard this song being sung by Wang Zhuocheng/Marius Wang. I love the vibes the melody gives off and Marius' version is soulful and pleasant. I can't stop listening to it lol.
  • Greg from KyKate Rusby's cover is really good!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 3, 1952, Jo Stafford's "You Belong To Me" started it's 12 non-consecutive* weeks at #1 on Billboard's Most Played on Jukeboxes chart...
    "You Belong To Me" was at #1 for nine weeks, then Patti Page's "I Went To Your Wedding" took over the #1 spot for one week, and "You Belong To You" moved back to #1 for next three weeks, finally it was Joni James' "Why Don't You Believe Me" that knocked her out of the top spot for good...
    Seems 1952 was a good year for female singers, they held the #1 spot for a total of 38 weeks; Jo Stafford {12 weeks}, Kay Starr {9 weeks}, Georgia Gibbs {7 weeks}, Vera Lynn {6 weeks}, Joni James {3 weeks}, and Patti Page {1 week}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn August 14th 1962, the Duprees performed "You Belong to Me" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    A little over two weeks earlier on July 29th, 1962 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #93; and on September 16th, 1962 it peaked at #7 {for 1 week} and spent 13 weeks on the Top 100...
    Between August 1962 and July 1965 the New Jersey quintet had eight Top 100 records; their next biggest hit after "You Belong to Me" was "My Own True Love", it reached #13 {for 1 week} on December 2nd, 1962.
  • Sherman from Los Angeles , CaIn 2007 an american idol hopeful,sheman pore sang this song as atribute a to his late "Lady Love-Melissa Miller"and then produced a cd called For"My Lady Love"in honor of her.On it are 10 great songs,one of them "You belong to me".He still performs it at shows cases ocasionaly always singing it to his angel!!
  • Joel from Cleveland, OhDean Martin also covered this. I don't recall if it was on an album or just a single but either way Dino's version was right up there with the others who have done this song. I think Dylan did this song for the original soundtrack from the Woody Harrelson film "Natural Born Killers".
  • Louis from Massapequa , Nyjo stafford, one of the greatest girl singers of all time.
  • Butterfly from Hyderabad, --Such a sweet song..!!
  • William from Elizabeth City, NcThis is Redd Stewart's son. The statement above states that Chilton Price was the only writer of Slow Poke, and You Belong To Me. That could not be futher from the truth! It still amazes me the lengths some people will go to to get alittle fame! The thousands of friends, fans, and performers that knew Redd and Pee Wee know the huge talent these two were and the contributions they made to the world of music!
  • Jim from Cleveland, OhGreat song. Danced many times to it at "record hops" My favorite version is by the Duprees.
  • Craig from Memphis, TnBen Taylor (son of James Taylor and Carli Simon) just covered this song on his 2006 release. It's much more like the Bob Dylan version than the older country versions.
  • Nathan from From The Country Of, Canadagreat classic AM radio song, favourite version is the Dupree's.
  • Flower from Shenyang, ChinaI love the Bob Dylon version of this song.Each time I play this song in my office at noon time,my colleages always ask me play it one more.We listen to it together without a word.Though we don't know English well,even we can't understand the words,we all feel the deep and true feeling of the love frome it.
  • Chris from Saline, MiI never knew Jason Wade (of Lifehouse) recorded this song... that's interesting.
    It should be pointed out that Jo Stafford's version was huge not only in England but in the USA where it hit #1 in 1952.
    Anne Murray's version is on her CD of fifties pop covers, "Croonin'." On the CD she covers another song that made #1 for Jo Stafford (in 1954), "Make Love To Me."
  • Chris from East Northport, NyThe Spider nick and the maddogs version of this song is arguably the best version of the song among music critics but they can all agree that the band itsself is underrated.
  • Stacie from Phoenix, AzI love the Jason Wade version of this song!
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