THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

740-Bobby Gentry-I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.

1969-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 1.02.The words of advice from the good Doctor Hal David,’Don’t kiss a guy, because you’ll get enough germs to catch pneumonia, and after you do, he’ll never phone ya.’

‘I’ll Never Fall in Love Again’ was written by Burt Bacharach, who wrote the music, and Hal David (1921-2012,) who provided the lyrics, pacifically for the 1968 Broadway Musical ‘Promises, Promises,’which is based on the 1960 film ‘The Apartment,’ in total Bacharach and David wrote five songs for the musical.

At the time when Bacharach and David (see also best songs 902-832-815-644 and 224) were commissioned to write this song, Bacharach was hospitalised with pneumonia, and it was that which gave Hal David the idea for those ‘strange’ lyrics.The song was first performed as a duet on December 1st, 1968, at the Broadway premiere of ‘Promises, Promises’ by the characters played by the actors Jill O’Hara, and Jerry Orbach. Other significant versions of the song are by longtime Bacharach and David collaborator Dionne Warwick (see also best songs 224,) who took her version to Number 1 on Billboard in 1970. In the UK it was Bobby Gentry’s (see also best songs 18) version that triumphed, reaching Number 1 1969, and in 1990 Scottish band Deacon Blue (see also best songs 1032) took their version to Number 2 in the UK, and Ireland.

‘What do you get when you kiss a guy? You get enough germs to catch pneumonia, after you do, he’ll never phone ya.’