A supremely talented musician who excels as a songwriter, singer, and instrumentalist, JD Souther was a part of some of the biggest hits of the ‘70s as a collaborator with the Eagles. Solo success on the pop charts eluded him some, however, at least until “You’re Only Lonely” came along.
The song blew up in 1979, hitting the Top 10 and bringing Souther’s music to the attention of people who might not have known his many impressive credits to that point. Here’s the story of how he scored big with a little bit of Roy Orbison flavor on “You’re Only Lonely.”
JD’s Journey
John David Souther did a little bit of everything in the ‘70s rock scene. But as the decade wore on, it looked like a hit single under his own name might not be in the cards. Not that musical greatness always aligns with chart success. Still, it was mystifying how a guy with Souther’s track record couldn’t make a big dent with a single.
That track record included a stint in a supergoup of sorts with fellow country rock icons Richie Furay and Chris Hillman. Souther often contributed to the smash hit albums by Linda Ronstadt in the mid- to late-‘70s. And he thrived co-writing Eagles’ songs, including massive singles “Best of My Love” and “New Kid in Town.”
In 1976, Souther’s album Black Rose received rave reviews, but didn’t do much on radio. Heading into his 1979 album, it was an open question of whether Souther, who clearly knew how to write hit singles, would ever pen one he’d record himself.
Lonely Days
Souther was in the process of planning his 1979 album with Waddy Wachtel, another legend of the LA rock scene. Wachtel was concerned he didn’t hear any songs with more of an uptempo vibe. That’s when Souther remembered a song he had written years earlier but didn’t think was finished, as he explained to Songwriter Universe:
“So I played it for him and said, ‘You see, it doesn’t really have a chorus, and it doesn’t have a bridge.’ And Waddy just said, ‘Sing the first verse again.’ I said, ‘Oh, OK’ (laughs). And it just sounded so catchy and sincere. (After that) we had a pretty good feeling while we were recording it that it was gonna do well.”
Since the song, which became the title track of that 1979 album, had a title reminiscent of the Roy Orbison classic “Only the Lonely,” it made sense for Souther to do a little falsetto singing on his track. “You’re Only Lonely,” the song that Souther had been sitting on for years, turned out to be his first Billboard smash, topping the Adult Contemporary charts and hitting No. 7 on the pop chart.
What is the Meaning of “You’re Only Lonely”?
“You’re Only Lonely” works on two levels. On the one hand, it’s a song of support for a friend, as the narrator offers assistance when times are at their hardest for his companion: When the world is ready to fall on your little shoulders / And when you’re feeling lonely and small / You need somebody there to hold you.
But it’s also a song about convincing someone it’s all right to have those sorrowful times, because it’s something that everybody has to endure: Now don’t you ever be ashamed / You’re only lonely. Besides, when you have a friend who’s true-blue, you can handle anything. I was there when you were a queen, Souther sings. And I’ll be the last one there beside you.
There’s something to the notion that it took so long for JD Souther to have his first big hit because he was busy giving away his best material to his famous friends. But he was finally looking out for himself on “You’re Only Lonely.” And since the song accomplished introducing many fans to his impressive body of work, it was a success far beyond what it managed on the charts.
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