"The One on the Right Is on the Left" is a country song written by Jack Clement. It was recorded by Johnny Cash on November 29, 1965, and included on his novelty album Everybody Loves a Nut (1966). It was the album's third and most successful single (see 1966 in music), reaching #2 on the U.S. Billboard Country Singles chart and #46 on Billboard's Pop Singles chart.
| "The One on the Right Is on the Left" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Johnny Cash | ||||
| from the album Everybody Loves a Nut | ||||
| B-side | "Cotton Pickin' Hands" | |||
| Released | February 12, 1966 | |||
| Genre | Country, novelty | |||
| Length | 2:46 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jack Clement | |||
| Producer(s) | Don Law, Frank Jones | |||
| Johnny Cash singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Content
editThe song is a humorous criticism of musicians that put their political views into their music. It tells the story of a folk song group that is "long on musical ability", but ultimately breaks up due to political differences. At the end of the song, a warning is given not to mix politics with one's music.
The punch line to the joke is that "the guy in the rear", is less easily labeled: he is a Methodist and he burned his driver's license (rather than his draft card), etc. Indeed, the song closes by stating that he got drafted.
Track listings
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The One on the Right Is on the Left" | 2:46 |
| 2. | "Cotton Pickin' Hands" | 2:19 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The One on the Right Is on the Left" | J. H. Clement | 2:46 |
| 2. | "Boa Constrictor" | Shel Silverstein | 1:45 |
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3] | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 46 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 35 |
Cover versions
editNoel Harrison sang the song on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour on June 11, 1967.[5] They ended the song by pointing out they had no "guy in the rear" and walked off.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Johnny Cash - The One On The Right Is On The Left". Discogs. 1965. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
- ^ "The One On The Right Is On The Left/Boa Constrictor". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
- ^ "Johnny Cash Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Johnny Cash Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Music Shows - The official Noel Harrison website". TheWindmillsOfYourMind.com. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
- ^ "The One on the Left is on the Right - Noel Harrison Smothers Brothers". YouTube. 2010-09-12. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
External links
edit
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