The Last Time Around

Album: Rudy The Fifth (1971)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Ricky Nelson was one of the most popular singers of the pre-Beatles rock era, and he was also a TV star, appearing on his family's show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. He didn't start writing songs until later in his career when he was no longer a teen idol but a mature singer with a country-rock sound.

    "The Last Time Around" is one of the songs he wrote himself. It's a thank you and a goodbye, inspired by a homeless man in New York City who gave him a psychic reading, telling Nelson that he was an old soul with many previous lives, but this was his last time around.
  • This song was far from a hit (Nelson's chart renewal came a year later with "Garden Party"), but it meant a lot to him. His son Matthew Nelson said in his Songfacts interview: "It's a magical song and you can feel that he took those words that man said and thought it was Jesus speaking to him or something like that. He wrote this amazing song about it that's actually kind of universal."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm of MudhoneySongwriter Interviews

When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.

Christopher Cross

Christopher CrossSongwriter Interviews

The man who created Yacht Rock with "Sailing" wrote one of his biggest hits while on acid.

Howard Jones

Howard JonesSongwriter Interviews

Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.

Def Leppard Quiz

Def Leppard QuizMusic Quiz

Can you name Def Leppard's only #1 hit in America? Get rocked with this adrenalized quiz.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.