"I Wish I Was Eighteen Again" is a song written by Sonny Throckmorton in 1979.[1] [2]
| I Wish I Was Eighteen Again | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Jerry Lee Lewis |
| Album: | Jerry Lee Lewis |
| A-Side: | Rockin' My Life Away |
| Released: | March 1979 |
| Recorded: | early January 1979 |
| Studio: | Filmways/Heider Recording, Hollywood, California |
| Genre: | Country |
| Length: | 3:40 |
| Label: | Elektra Records E-46030 |
| Producer: | Bones Howe |
Jerry Lee Lewis originally recorded the song for his self-titled album in 1979. It was released as the B-side of "Rockin' My Life Away".[3] [4]
The song was a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Country chart, peaking at No. 18.
| I Wish I Was Eighteen Again | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | George Burns |
| Album: | I Wish I Was Eighteen Again |
| B-Side: | One Of The Mysteries Of Life |
| Released: | December 1979 |
| Recorded: | October 31, 1979 |
| Studio: | Sound Stage Studios Nashville, Tennessee |
| Genre: | Country |
| Length: | 3:22 |
| Label: | Mercury Records 57011 |
| Producer: | Jerry Kennedy |
| Next Title: | The Arizona Whiz |
| Next Year: | 1980 |
A year later, comedian-actor George Burns covered the song for his 1980 album of the same title. The song was also featured in the 1988 film 18 Again!, in which Burns starred.[6] [7] [8] [9]
Burns' cover slightly missed the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 49. However, it was a Top 40 hit on the Easy Listening and Country charts. Despite being his only entry to both charts, it did better than Lewis' version in the Country chart, peaking at No. 15.
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 49 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary[11] | 25 |
| US Billboard Hot Country Singles[12] | 15 |
| Canada RPM Top 100 | 25 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary | 19 |
| Canada RPM Country | 8 |
Ray Price covered the song for his 2014 posthumous album Beauty Is... The Final Sessions.