THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

367-Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood-Some Velvet Morning.

1967-Has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 1.39. Nancy Sinatra once said,’I’ve been singing this song for over 20 years, and I still don’y know what the damned thing means.’

Lee Haxlewood was born Barton Lee Hazlewood on July 9th, 1929, in Mannford, Oklahoma, United States, he died on August 4th, 2007, from renal cancer at the age of 78. In the late 1950’s, and early 1960’s he found great success when teaming up with the pioneering guitarist Duane Eddy to co-write, and produce Rock instrumentals such as ‘Rebel Rouser,’ and (‘Dance With The Guitar Man,’) He first teamed up with Nancy Sinatra in 1965 when Nancy’s father Frank (see also best songs 877-567-469-120 and 73) stepped in and asked Hazlewood to give his daughters career a boost, which led to Hazlewood writing and producing Nancy’s UK and U.S. Number 1 single ‘These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ (see also best songs 978.)

‘Some Velvet Morning’ was written and produced by Lee Hazlewood, and first appeared on Nancy Sinatra’s fourth Album release ‘Movin’ with Nancy,’ from 1967, the Album is the soundtrack to her 1967 television special of the same name. The song was next released as a single, before appearing on the 1968 Album ‘Nancy & Lee.’

Nancy has said she has no idea what the song is about, and the songs writer Lee Hazlewood has admitted that he is not fully sure about the songs meaning either. The song was definitely inspired by the Greek mythological character ‘Phaedra,’ In Greek mythology Phaedra falls in love with her husbands stepson Hippolytus, who rejects her advances. Her husband Theseus learns of her actions, she lies to her husband that Hippolytus tried to rape her. This angers Theseus who immediately curses his son with one of three wishes granted to him by Poseidon, the God of the sea. Hippolytus is torn apart by a bull that rises from the sea, but somehow Phaedra’s treachery is discovered, (unclear how) and to avoid a more painful death she decides to take her own life.

Of the song Hazlewood (see also best songs 1010-978 and 124) has said,’It’s not meant to mean so much. I’m not a druggie, so it was never to do with that.’ He has also said,’I had problems with people telling me ‘I really like the song you wrote Lee, you can really dance to it,’ I don’t like people dancing to my music, I was very contrary. The next thing I sat down to write what happened to be that song, and I go,-‘Dance to this, sons of bitches.”

‘Some velvet morning when I’m straight, I’m gonna open up your gate, and maybe tell you ’bout Phaedra, and how she gave me life, and how she made it end. Some velvet morning when I’m straight.’