THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

185-Ray Charles-Georgia On My Mind.

1960-Number 24 single.

Best Bit-At 2.45. It has always been open to question as to what the song was really written about, was it about a girl, or was it about a State?

‘Georgia On My Mind’ was written in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael, (1899-1981) (see also best songs 288) and Stuart Gorrell, (1901-1963) who wrote the majority of the lyrics. The first recording of the song was in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael and his Orchestra, with vocals by Carmichael. Gorrell had first met Carmichael at Indiana University when they were both students, and became friends. It was after hearing Carmichael’s melody that Gorrell got the inspiration to write the lyrics for ‘Georgia On My Mind,’ this is the only song that Gorrell is known to have written. On the original song credits only Carmichael was credited, but he did make sure that Gorrell received his royalties.

On reading the songs lyrics several times, Gorrell was asked by his mother,’What is Georgia, a girl or a State,’ to which Gorrell replied,’What do you think?’ In Hoagy Carmichael’s autobiography he wrote that the saxophonist Frankie Trumbauer (1901-1956) had told him that he should write a song about the State of Georgia, to which Carmichael jokingly volunteered the first two words ‘Georgia, Georgia.’ It is also worth noting that Carmichael did have a younger sister called Georgia, but he does go on to say in his autobiography that the song was in fact written about the State of Georgia.

The most famous version of ‘Georgia On My Mind’ was recorded by Ray Charles, (1930-2004) (see also best songs 475) who was a native of Georgia, having been born in Albany. Charles recorded the song for his 1960 Album ‘The Genius Hits the Road,’ and when it was released a single it gave him the first of his three Billboard Hot 100 Number 1 singles. In 1979 Charles performed the song in the aftermath of years of activism and national legislation resulting from the Civil Rights Movement. Charles was invited to perform the song before the Georgia General Assembly, which led to the song being adopted as the new State song of Georgia on April 24th, 1979.

In the UK this version by Ray Charles remains the only hit version of the song to date, although there are many other famous recordings, including ones by Ella Fitzgerald and Willie Nelson. In America the only other top 40 hit version of the song is the recording by Michael Bolton, which reached Number 36 on Billboard in 1990. Willie Nelson (see also best songs 337) who had recorded the song for his 1978 Album ‘Stardust,’ sang the song at Ray Charles’ funeral in 2004.

‘Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through. Just an old sweet song Keeps Georgia on my mind (Georgia on my mind.) I said Georgia, Georgia, a song of you comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines.’