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Saga of Second Bests #2

‘Pretty Little Black-Eyed Susie’ – Guy Mitchell, 07/05/1953

Well, that didn’t take long. We’re back with Guy Mitchell again, and he still hasn’t shaken that bloody glockenspiel. ‘Pretty Little Black-Eyed Susie’ is certainly an improvement on ‘Feet Up’, but don’t underestimate its level of twee. Candied sweet pertaters? Biscuits soaked in gravy? A prairie? It makes me shudder.

I do get the sense that it is meant to be (at least partially) tongue in cheek – you can practically hear Mitchell’s wink as he sings about loving ‘Jane’ and ‘Mary’. He plays the love-reformed rogue again, listing how his love for Susie trumps his love for, say, a hill or his pipe. Should we extend this cheek and double meaning to the song’s title? Are Susie’s black eyes less about her alluring iris and something darker? Frankly, I don’t think we can read much into anything about this song. Another inauthentic and harmless ditty to keep your nan placated.

Somehow, this sub three-minute track feels like a Pink Floyd deep cut. Maybe it’s oompah rhythm, maybe it’s the super simple structure, or maybe it’s listening to Mitchell try to cram as many syllables into a one-line chorus as possible, but this song lulls me into a pop-induced daze. It makes every beat feel longer than it should, and by the end you never want to hear about Susie or her black eyes for a while.

NB: I do worry that I come across a bit negative in these first two reviews. I promise that I actually do like music. Just not, as it appears, any made by Guy Mitchell.

Should it be silver?

I don’t think it had much chance against Frankie Laine’s ‘I Believe’. That song sat at the top of the charts for a record 18 weeks. It’s short and stirring, but now just sounds like a lesser ‘If I Can Dream’. However, I prefer its belting, quasi-religious sincerity to Mitchell’s wry ramblings.

Rating

2 candied sweet pertaters out of 5

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