1950 single by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
"Faded Love" is a Western swing song written by Bob Wills, his father John Wills,[1] and his brother, Billy Jack Wills. The tune is considered to be an exemplar of the Western swing fiddle component of American fiddle.[citation needed]
The melody came from an 1856 ballad, "Darling Nelly Gray", which John Wills knew as a fiddle tune.[2][3][4] "Faded Love" is a sentimental song about lost love. The name comes from the refrain that follows each verse: "I remember our faded love".
The song was a major hit for Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys (MGM 10786) reaching number eight on the Country charts in 1950.[5] It became one of his signature songs.
- ^ San Antonio Rose - The Life and Music of Bob Wills. Charles R. Townsend. 1976. University of Illinois. p. 11. ISBN 0-252-00470-1
- ^ Wolff, Country Music, p. 112: "It ['Faded Love'] originated with western swing pioneer Bob Wills, who grew up in the 1910s and 1920s fiddling in rural Texas with his father, John Wills. They wrote the melody together when Bob was very young; it wasn't until 1950 that the song gained lyrics, courtesy of Bob's younger brother, Billy Jack."
- ^ McWhorter, Cowboy Fiddler, p. 61: "And he [Boyd Rogers] played a tune called 'Forsaken Lover.' It's note-for-note the same as 'Faded Love.' Bob took that old tune and slowed it down and put in that long Bob Wills bow, and it became 'Faded Love'."
- ^ Michael Corcoran's Texas Top 50", Lonestar Music Magazine, 29 July 2016 Note: user must type "Corcoran's top 50 into website search line.
- ^ Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits, p. 393: "Rusty McDonald and The Playboy Trio (vocals)".