About the Song

Freddy Fender was a country music singer who was known for his distinctive voice and his blend of country, rockabilly, and Tejano music. Fender was born in San Benito, Texas, in 1937. He began his music career in the early 1950s, and he released his first album in 1959.

“Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” was released in 1960 and was Freddy Fender’s biggest hit. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number two on the Billboard Country Singles chart. The song is a ballad about a man who is reflecting on his wasted life. The song’s lyrics are simple but effective, and the melody is catchy and memorable. Fender’s distinctive voice adds to the song’s emotional impact.

“Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” was a critical and commercial success. The song was praised for its catchy melody, heartfelt lyrics, and Fender’s powerful vocals. It was a major hit in the United States and helped to establish Freddy Fender as one of the most popular country music singers of the early 1960s.

The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including:

  • Waylon Jennings
  • Merle Haggard
  • Willie Nelson
  • George Strait
  • Alan Jackson

“Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” is a classic country song that has stood the test of time. It is a song that is sure to continue to be enjoyed by listeners for many years to come.

Here are some additional details about the song:

  • The song was written by Freddy Fender and Huey P. Meaux.
  • The song was produced by Huey P. Meaux.
  • The song was recorded in Houston, Texas.
  • The song’s B-side was “I’m Leaving It Up to You”.
  • The song was a commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number two on the Billboard Country Singles chart.
  • The song has been covered by many artists, including Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, George Strait, and Alan Jackson.

Here are some interesting facts about the song:

  • The song was inspired by Fender’s own experiences of heartbreak and loss.
  • The song was originally released as a single in 1959, but it did not become a hit until it was re-released in 1960.
  • The song was featured in the 1960 film “The Wild Bunch”.

Video

Lyrics: Wasted Days and Wasted Nights

Wasted days and wasted nights
I have left for you behind
For you don’t belong to me
Your heart belongs
To someone elseWhy should I keep loving you
When I know that you’re not true
And why should I call your name
When you’re the blame
For making me blue?Don’t you remember the day
That you went away
And left me
I was so lonely
Prayed for you only
My loveWhy should I keep loving you
When I know that you’re not true
And why should I call you’re name
When you’re the blame
For making me blueDon’t you remember the day
That you went away
And left me
I was so lonely
Prayed for you only
My loveWhy should I keep loving you
When I know that you’re not true?
And why should I call your name
When you’re the blame
For making me blue

You Missed

MINNIE PEARL WALKED ONSTAGE AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY FOR 50 YEARS WITH A $1.98 PRICE TAG ON HER HAT — AND THEN ONE NIGHT, SHE JUST COULDN’T ANYMORE. Here’s something most people don’t think about with Minnie Pearl. That price tag hanging off her straw hat? It wasn’t random. Sarah Cannon — that was her real name — created it as a joke about a country girl too proud of her new hat to take the tag off. And audiences loved it so much that it became the most recognizable prop in country music history. For over fifty years, that tag meant Minnie was here, and everything was going to be fun. So imagine what it felt like when she couldn’t put the hat on anymore. In June 1991, Sarah had a massive stroke. She was 79. And just like that, the woman who hadn’t missed an Opry show in decades was gone from the stage. But here’s what gets me. She didn’t die in 1991. She lived another five years after that stroke, mostly out of the public eye, unable to perform, unable to be “Minnie” the way she’d always been. Her husband Henry Cannon took care of her at their Nashville home. Friends visited, but they said it was hard. The woman who made millions of people laugh couldn’t get through a full conversation some days. Roy Acuff, her old friend from the Opry, kept her dressing room exactly the way she left it. Nobody used it. The hat sat there. She passed on March 4, 1996. And what most people remember is the comedy. The “HOW-DEEE” catchphrase. The big goofy grin. What they don’t remember is that Sarah Cannon was also a serious fundraiser for cancer research. Centennial Medical Center in Nashville named their cancer center after her — not after Minnie, after Sarah. She raised millions and rarely talked about it publicly. There’s a story about the very last time Sarah tried to put on the hat at home, months after the stroke, and what her husband said to her in that moment — it’s the kind of detail that makes you see fifty years of comedy completely differently. Roy Acuff kept Minnie Pearl’s dressing room untouched for years after she left — was that loyalty to a friend, or was he holding a door open for someone he knew was never coming back?