You're Only Lonely (song) explained

You're Only Lonely
Type:	single
Artist:	J. D. Souther
Album:	You're Only Lonely
B-Side:	Songs of Love
Released:	August 1979^[1]
Genre:	Country rock, soft rock^[2]
Length:	3:48
Label:	Columbia
Next Title:	White Rhythm and Blues
Next Year:	1980

"You're Only Lonely" is a 1979 single by J. D. Souther from his album of the same name.^[3] The single peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, Souther's only top ten pop hit, and spent five weeks at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.^[4]

Background

Souther hired Danny Kortchmar to play guitar, David Sanborn saxophone, and to help out with the harmony, Phil Everly, Jackson Browne, and three members of the Eagles (Frey, Felder, Henley).^[5]

Charts

Chart (1979-80)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[6]	17
Canadian RPM Top Singles	18
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary	2
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	12
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[7]	7
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	60

Cover versions

• The song was covered in 2004 by Taiwanese girl group S.H.E in their album Magical Journey.
• It was covered by singer-songwriter Schuyler Fisk on her album The Good Stuff.
• Patrick Norman covered the song to Québec in French as "Tout au long de ma vie".
• Also covered by Raul Malo of The Mavericks, on his 2006 album "You're Only Lonely".

Popular culture

• It is also featured in the 2005 Korean film, Daddy-Long-Legs and the 2013 Korean drama, A Little Love Never Hurts.

See also

• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1979 (U.S.)

Notes and References

1. Web site: 45cat - J. D. Souther - You're Only Lonely / Songs Of Love - Columbia - USA - 1-11079. 45cat.com. May 31, 2023.
2. Web site: Roy Kasten . JD Souther . Riverfront Times . January 2, 2012. August 21, 2014.
3. Allmusic
4. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Joel Whitburn . 2002 . Record Research . 227.
5. Web site: DeGagne. Mike. You're Only Lonely (Review). J.D. Souther Biography. allmusic. July 19, 2012.
6. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 285.
7. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn

   . Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 . Joel Whitburn . 2013 . Record Research . 788.

8. December 20, 1980 . 1980 Talent in Action – Year End Charts : Pop Singles . TIA-10 . Billboard . 92 . 51. April 5, 2020.