bobby russell
In 1968, Burl Ives' album "The Times They Are a-Changin'" was released, produced and certainly encouraged by Bob Johnston. The reception of the modern approach was mixed, ranged from "miserable" to "masterpiece". Myself I regard it as the best that ol' guy ever did, and it contained this song : it was the first time I'd heard it.
Written by Bobby Russell, it became a hit for three different artists the same year of '68. First
Roger Miller in January, following Patti Page and O. C. Smith. Russell wrote it for Miller, who cut it for the album "A Tender Look at Love", and the single became Miller's final Top Ten C&W hit - if you can call this C&W at all.
Russell wrote this at the same time as "Honey", as an effort to make song lyrics different and more "lyrical" and close. He succeeded. This song is covered by more than 200 artists, and adapted even into hebrew as well as all latin languishes. Himself, he recorded it in June '68; same month as Burl Ives did.
and I wake up in the mornin'
with my hair down in my eyes and she says : «hi»
and I stumble to the breakfast table
while the kids are goin' off to school : «goodbye»
and she reaches out and takes my hand
and squeezes it and says «How ya feelin' hon?»
and I look across at smilin' lips
that warm my heart and see my mornin' sun
and if that's not lovin' me
then all I've got to say is:
God didn't make little green apples
and it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime
and there's no such thing as Doctor Seuss
or Disneyland and Mother Goose : no nursery rhyme
God didn't make little green apples
and it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime
and when my self is feelin' low
I think about her face aglow and ease my mind
sometimes I call her up at home knowin' she's busy
and ask her if she could get away and meet me
and maybe we could grab a bite to eat
and she drops what she's doin' and she hurries down to meet me
and I'm always late
but she sits waitin' patiently and smiles when she first sees me
'cause she's made that way
and if that's not lovin' me
then all I've got to say is:
God didn't make little green apples
and it don't snow in Minneapolis when the winter comes
and there's no such thing as make believe
puppy dogs' • autumn leaves and BB guns
God didn't make little green apples
and it don't rain in Indianapolis....
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
Bm Bm/A# and I wake up in the mornin' Bm/A E6 E7 A with my hair down in my eyes and she says hi Bm Bm/A# and I stumble to the breakfast table Bm/A E6 E7 A while the kids are goin' off to school goodbye Amaj7 and she reaches out and takes my hand A7 A7+6 D ...D6 and squeezes it and says how ya feelin' hon Bm E and I look across at smilin' lips Bm E A that warm my heart and see my mornin' sun Esus2 ...E7...Esus2...E7 and if that's not lovin' me Esus2 ...E7...Esus2...E7 then all I've got to say A is God didn't make little green apples Bm ...D6 and it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime Bm E and there's no such thing as Doctor Seuss Bm E A or Disneyland, and Mother Goose no nursery rhyme Amaj7 F#m A God didn't make little green apples Amaj7 F#m A Bm...D6 and it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime Bm E and when my self is feelin' low Bm E A I think about her face aglow and ease my mind
