Don't Let Me Cross Over

Carl Butler, Pearl Butler

About Don't Let Me Cross Over

"Don't Let Me Cross Over" is a song made famous as a duet by Carl Butler and Pearl, a husband-and-wife country music duo. Originally released in November 1962, the song needed just four weeks to reach the #1 spot on the Billboard Country Singles chart, and spent 11 (non-consecutive) weeks at #1. "Don't Let Me Cross Over" has become a country-music standard. Honky-tonk singer Carl Butler is best remembered for "Don't Let Me Cross Over," which Allmusic writer Jim Worbois described as a "country heartbreak song. " The song was one of several in which Butler's wife, Pearl, joins him on harmony. With its 11-week reign, "Don't Let Me Cross Over" was the longest-running No. 1 song for a performer's debut single on the Hot Country Singles (and its successor-names) chart until being matched in May 2013 by Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise." 


Year:
1963
2:51
793 
#4

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Don't let me cross over
Love's cheating line

I'm tempted, my darling
To steal you away
Don't let me cross over
Stay out of my way

You know that I love you
And I'm not the stealing kind
But I'm faced with heartaches
At love's cheating line

Don't let me cross over
Love's cheating line
You belong to another
And could never be mine

I know one step closer
Would be Heaven divine
Don't let me cross over
Love's cheating line

I tried to forget you
But what else can I do
When your eyes keep saying
That you love me too

I know if I lose you
Not a dream will I have left
I don't want to cheat, dear
But I can't help myself

Don't let me cross over
Love's cheating line
You belong to another
And could never be mine

I know one step closer
Would be Heaven divine
Don't let me cross over
Love's cheating line

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com


Carl Butler

Carl Robert Butler, known professionally as Carl Butler, (June 2, 1927 – September 4, 1992) was an American country music singer-songwriter and one half of the husband-and-wife duo Carl and Pearl Butler. Carl and Pearl Butler had one of the biggest-selling singles of 1962, "Don't Let Me Cross Over". A later single, "Too Late to Try Again", hit #9 on the country charts in 1964 for them, while the B side, "My Tears Don't Show", crept up to #36. Butler wrote those 2 songs and also "If Tear Drops Were Pennies" (twice a top ten country hit - Carl Smith in 1951 and Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner in 1973 - and also a minor hit (#21) on the pop charts for Rosemary Clooney in 1951) and "Crying My Heart Out Over You" (written with Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and Earl … more »

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Written by: PENNY JAY MOYER

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Singer's Popularity
Carl Butler was a renowned American country music singer and songwriter who had several popular hits during the mid-20th century. His song "Don't Let Me Cross Over," helped solidify his place in the country music world.
Chart Performance
Remarkably, "Don't Let Me Cross Over" was not just a hit, but it reached No. 1 on the Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart in December 1962 and stayed at that position for an impressive eleven weeks.
Duo Performance
The song wasn't performed by Carl Butler alone; it was a duet between Carl and his wife, Pearl Butler. This husband-and-wife duo was rare in country music, which added a unique and authentic touch to the song's narrative of longing and forbidden love.
Song Genre
"Don't Let Me Cross Over" is categorized under the genre of Traditional country - a sub-genre characterized by its roots in the earliest days of country music, focusing on simple melodies and themes like nostalgia, heartbreak, and American life.
Cover Versions
Testament to its timeless appeal, "Don't Let Me Cross Over" has been covered by numerous country and pop artists over the years, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt, thus continuing to influence the music industry.
Awards
Although specific awards for "Don't Let Me Cross Over" are hard to pinpoint, Carl and Pearl Butler's contribution to the country music industry - with this song as a prime example - resulted in their induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame's “Walkway of Stars" in 1967.
Recording History
The song was recorded on August 27, 1962, at Columbia Recording Studio, Nashville, which was a hub for several great country music recordings.
Song Duration
"Don't Let Me Cross Over," as recorded by Carl and Pearl, has a duration of 2 minutes and 58 seconds, roughly the standard duration for a country music song from the 1960s.
Country Music Influence
"Don't Let Me Cross Over" is often cited as one of the classics in country music, influencing the sub-genre of country duets that deals with love, separation, and longing.
Music Label
The record label that released "Don't Let Me Cross Over" is Columbia Records, one of the most prestigious recording companies in the music industry, known for nurturing legendary artists across all genres.

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    Don't Let Me Cross Over

    5,691
    23     3

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1963

    Billboard #88


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