Back Street Affair

Kitty Wells

About Back Street Affair

"Back Street Affair" is a song written by country singer Billy Wallace and Nashville songwriter Jimmy Rule, and released by Wallace in April 1952. In August 1952 Webb Pierce released his version. Pierce's song was his third straight number one single on the C&W Best Seller charts, where it stayed at number one for two weeks. The song was first offered to Hank Williams, then the undisputed "King" of country music. He was singing it on his early morning radio shows and that's how Webb Pierce first heard it. Fred Rose, Hank's music publisher and unofficial manager wouldn't let Hank record it saying it was too risky, as it was a little risque for the time. Hank told Webb ..."I think anyone's got guts enough to record it has got themselves a number one hit." In 1953, Kitty Wells, had a hit song with an answer record entitled, "Paying For That Back Street Affair" which reached number six on the C&W Best Seller charts. Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn covered the song as a duet on their second studio album Lead Me On, released on February 7, 1972 by Decca Records 


Year:
2011
2:38
47 

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Yes I thought that you were true when I fell in love with you
For you told me you always would play square
Then I learned you had a home that your wife had done gone wrong
And our love was just a back street affair

Twas too late to say no when I found you fooled me so
For as time passed on I'd learned so much to care
Though I knew I must atone but my will was not my own
I'm paying for that back street affair

You didn't count the cost you gambled and I lost
Now I must pay with hours of deep despair
You still can live your life with a true forgiving wife
But I can't live down a back street affair

The love I gave so free is left to torture me
Though I know it's hopeless and it isn't fair
But still I must go on while the gisspips spread our wrong
I'm paying for that back street affair

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Kitty Wells

Ellen Muriel Deason (August 30, 1919 – July 16, 2012), known professionally as Kitty Wells, was an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star. Her Top 10 hits continued until the mid-1960s, inspiring a long list of female country singers who came to prominence in the 1960s. more »

3 fans

Written by: BILLY WALLACE

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

First Recordings
"Back Street Affair" was a country music song originally performed by Webb Pierce. It was released by Decca Records in 1952.
Chart Success
The song has achieved significant chart success. Webb Pierce's version peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts, demonstrating its popularity at the time.
Kitty Wells Version
A few years later, in 1953, country pioneer Kitty Wells released her answer song, "Paying for That Back Street Affair," a response to Webb's original from a woman's perspective.
Notable Versions
There have been many covers of the song over the years. For instance, Loretta Lynn, a well-known country artist, also covered the song giving it a fresh twist, thereby expanding its appeal.
Song Theme
"Back Street Affair" explores the theme of marital infidelity, a subject that was considered somewhat controversial for the times.
Composer of the Song
The lyrics to "Back Street Affair" were written by country songwriter Billy Wallace.
Cultural Impact
The song's theme, along with the subsequent response songs it inspired, contribute to its long-lasting cultural impact. This song represent an important step towards the modernization of country music and its willingness to confront provocative subjects.
Inductions
Webb Pierce, the original singer of "Back Street Affair", was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001, an honor that attests to the enduring influence of his music.
Lyrical Response
Kitty Wells' version, titled "Paying for That Back Street Affair," became one of the first examples of the "answer song" trend in country music, whereby a song directly responds to another song, often from a different perspective.
Legacy
Artists like Loretta Lynn have continued to cover "Back Street Affair," demonstrating the song's lasting legacy within the genre of country music.

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