Gentle on My Mind

This article is about the song. For other uses, see Gentle on My Mind (disambiguation).

"Gentle on My Mind"
Black RCA Records 7-inch single label. On the left side, a drawing of a dog staring into a gramophone is seen. On the Right side, a text reads RCA Victor. The top reads Gentle on My Mind (John Hartford). The bottom reads John Hartford.
Single by John Hartford
from the album Earthwords & Music
B-side"(Good Old Electric) Washing Machine (Circa. 1943)"
ReleasedMay 1967 (1967-05)
StudioRCA Studio A, Nashville, Tennessee
GenreCountry
Length3:03
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)John Hartford
Producer(s)Felton Jarvis
John Hartford singles chronology
"Gentle on My Mind"
(1967) 		"Natural to Be Gone"
(1969)

"Gentle on My Mind" is a song that was written and originally recorded by John Hartford, and released on his second studio album, Earthwords & Music (1967). Hartford wrote the song after watching Doctor Zhivago in 1966, as he was inspired by the film and his own personal experiences. The lyrics describe the reminiscences of lost love of a man as he travels through the country. An obituary for Hartford indicated that the lyrics are "about a hobo reminiscing about a lost love".[1] The following year, Hartford released the song as a single on RCA Records.

It then caught the attention of Glen Campbell, who recorded his version with a group of session musicians known as the Wrecking Crew, of which he had been a part. Campbell's recording of "Gentle on My Mind" peaked in the top 30 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart. In 1968, between Campbell's and Hartford's recordings, the song earned four Grammy Awards.

"Gentle on My Mind" was later recorded by several other singers, including Dean Martin, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams and Elvis Presley. It was also translated into other languages. In 2014, a recording of the song by the Band Perry earned a Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Taking into account all recorded versions of the song, it has become the second-most-played song on the radio in the United States according to BMI.

  1. ^ Strauss, Neil (June 6, 2021). "John Hartford, Composer Of Country Hits, Dies at 63". New York Times. Retrieved December 14, 2023. In 1967 Mr. Campbell recorded a minor hit from Earthwords and Music about a hobo reminiscing about a lost love. Titled Gentle on My Mind, it became a Top 40 single