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"All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)" is a song written by
Dallas Frazier Dallas Frazier (October 27, 1939 – January 14, 2022) was an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 1960s. Life and career Frazier was born in Spiro, Oklahoma, on October 27, 1939, but was raised in Bakersfie ...
and A.L. "Doodle" Owens, and recorded by American
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
artist
Charley Pride Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American Country music, country singer. Beginning his career as a Negro league baseball player in the early-1950s, he later pursued a career in country music, becoming the gen ...
. It was released in June 1969 as the first single from his compilation album '' The Best of Charley Pride''. While Charley Pride's version is by far the most famous one, the first version was actually recorded by Johnny Bush in 1968 on his album "Undo the Right." The song, released that June, reached the top of the ''
Billboard magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized in lowercase since 2013) is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events and styles related to th ...
''
Hot Country Singles Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...
chart that August, and in doing so it was Charley Pride's first No. 1 song. It also accomplished a feat not done in 25 years: an
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
entertainer having a No. 1 hit on the ''Billboard'' country chart. The last song by a black performer to reach the summit was "
Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" is a song written by Louis Jordan and Billy Austin. The song's first recording, by Jordan, was made on October 4, 1943. It was released as the B-side of a single with " G.I. Jive" with the title "Is You Is or I ...
" by
Louis Jordan Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the King ...
, in July
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
. Pride became the third black singer to have a No. 1 country hit (the
Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...
-led King Cole Trio had a No. 1 hit earlier in 1944). While Cole would top the charts only once and Jordan twice, "All I Have to Offer You Is Me" would be the first of 29 No. 1 hits for Pride, spanning to 1983's "Night Games."


Content

The narrator speaks to his future wife, and tells her that if she chose to be with him forever, then she won't live a luxurious life every girl dreams about, as he says "All I have to offer you is me".


Chart performance


Cover versions

The song has also been recorded by: *
Conway Twitty Harold Lloyd Jenkins (September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993), better known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially a part of the 1950s rockabilly scene, Twitty was best known as a country music performer. ...
on his 1970 album
To See My Angel Cry "To See My Angel Cry" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Conway Twitty. Recording and Release Twitty recorded the song at Bradley's Barn studio Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, on June 24, 1969, the same day he cut "That's Wh ...
*
The Statler Brothers The Statler Brothers (sometimes simply referred to as The Statlers) were an American country music, gospel, and vocal group from Staunton, Virginia. The quartet was formed in 1955 performing locally, and from 1964 to 1972, they sang as opening a ...
on their 1970 album
Bed of Rose's "Bed of Rose's" is a song written by Harold Reid, and recorded by American country music group the Statler Brothers. It was released in October 1970 as the first single and title track from the album '' Bed of Rose's''. The song reached its popul ...
* Ray Lynam on his 1975 album 20 Shots of the Country Vol. 1 *
McBride & the Ride McBride & the Ride is an American country music band consisting of Terry McBride (lead vocals, bass guitar), Ray Herndon (background vocals, guitars), and Billy Thomas (background vocals, drums). The group was founded in 1989 through the assist ...
on their 1992 album '' Sacred Ground'' *The
Kaʻau Crater Boys Kaau Crater Boys were a Hawaiian Contemporary musical duo composed of Ernie Cruz Jr. (vocals, guitar, bass), Troy Fernandez (ukulele, vocals). They recorded and released four popular Hawaiian Contemporary albums along with a "best of" compilatio ...
on their 1995 album ''On Fire'' *
Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music singer and songwriter, considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Lynn, Wynette helped bring a ...
and
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American Country music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...
on their 1995 album ''
One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
'' *Aaron Tippin on his 1998 album "The Essential Aaron Tippin" *
Ricky Van Shelton Ricky Van Shelton (born January 12, 1952) is an American retired country music singer. Active between 1986 and 2006, he charted more than 20 singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts. This figure includes 10 Number One hits: "Somebod ...
on his 2000 album ''
Fried Green Tomatoes ''Fried Green Tomatoes'' is a 1991 American comedy-drama film directed by Jon Avnet and based on Fannie Flagg's 1987 novel '' Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe''. Written by Flagg and Carol Sobieski, and starring Kathy Bates, J ...
''.


References

{{authority control 1969 singles Charley Pride songs The Statler Brothers songs Conway Twitty songs McBride & the Ride songs Ricky Van Shelton songs Songs written by Dallas Frazier Songs written by A.L. "Doodle" Owens Song recordings produced by Chet Atkins Song recordings produced by Jack Clement Song recordings produced by Bob Ferguson (musician) Song recordings produced by Felton Jarvis RCA Records singles 1969 songs