"Oh, Pretty Woman" is a song recorded by Roy Orbison, written by Orbison and Bill Dees. It was released as a single in August 1964 on Monument Records and spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 26, 1964 - the second single by Orbison to top the US charts. It was also Orbison's third single to top the UK Singles Chart (for a total of three weeks). The record ultimately sold seven million copies and marked the high point in Orbison's career. Within months of its release, in October 1964, the single was certified gold by the RIAA. At the year's end, Billboard ranked it the number four song of 1964.
The lyrics tell the story of a man who sees a pretty woman walking by. He yearns for her and wonders if, as beautiful as she is, she might be lonely like he is. At the last minute, she turns back and joins him. The title was inspired by Orbison's wife, Claudette, interrupting a conversation to announce she was going out. When Orbison asked if she had enough cash, his co-writer Bill Dees interjected, "A pretty woman never needs any money." Orbison's recording of the song, which used four guitars, was produced by Fred Foster.
Orbison posthumously won the 1991 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his live recording of "Pretty Woman" on his HBO television special Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night. In 1999, the song was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award and was named one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it #222 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." On May 14, 2008, The Library of Congress selected the song for preservation in the National Recording Registry.
There were four guitar players on the session: Roy Orbison, Billy Sanford, Jerry Kennedy, and Wayne Moss. Billy Sanford, who later played session for Elvis and Don Williams and many others, played the intro guitar. Williams introduced him as a kid who had just arrived Nashville, with a borrowed guitar, who heard Orbison was minus a guitar player, who went over and got the gig. Other musicians on the record included Floyd Cramer on piano, Bob Moore on an upright bass, Boots Randolph and Charlie McCoy on sax, and Buddy Harman and Paul Garrison on drums. Orbison played a 12-string Epiphone.
In 1989, the controversial rap group 2 Live Crew recorded a parody of the Orbison song, using the alternate title "Pretty Woman" for their album As Clean As They Wanna Be. The 2 Live Crew sampled the distinctive bassline from the Orbison song, but the romantic lyrics were replaced by talk about a hairy woman and her bald-headed friend and their appeal to the singer, as well as denunciation of a "two-timing woman."
Orbison's publisher, Acuff-Rose Music sued 2 Live Crew on the basis that the fair use doctrine did not permit reuse of their copyrighted material for profit. The case, Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. went all the way to the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court decided in 2 Live Crew's favor, greatly expanding the doctrine of fair use and extending its protections to parodies created for profit. It is considered a seminal fair use decision.
Cover versions and parodies
The song has been covered by a number of artists:
In 1964, Johnny Rivers recorded the song on his live album In Action.
In 1965, a Finnish-language version by Eero ja Jussi & The Boys, on their album "Numero 1".
In 1965, Croatian language version by Duo Spevec.
In 1972 by Al Green on his album I'm Still in Love With You.
In 1972 by The Newbeats as the B-side to their single, "Remember Love".
Victor Wood on his album In Despair under Vicor Records.
In 1976 Andy Kim released a version of the song as a single, but it did not chart.
In 1976 John Mellencamp also released a version of the song on the album Chestnut Street Incident, under the name Johnny Cougar
In 1978 by Connie Francis in English and German, both versions changed the title from Pretty Woman to Lovin' Man. Aside from the change of title, the English version kept Orbison's original lyrics. Country singer Arlene Harden also did the same, having a top 15 country hit in 1970 with "Lovin' Man."
In 1982 the song – titled "(Oh) Pretty Woman" – was covered by the group Van Halen on their album Diver Down, preceded by a guitar-driven intro titled "Intruder". The music video, which had the band dress as a samurai (played by bassist Michael Anthony), Tarzan (played by drummer Alex Van Halen), a cowboy (played by guitarist Eddie Van Halen), and Napoleon (played by frontman David Lee Roth), per a hunchbacked onlooker's request, rescuing a captive girl (actually a transvestite) was one of the first banned by MTV, due to its opening sequence, where the captive girl is tied up and fondled against her will by a pair of little people (the ban was eventually lifted, as MTV sister network VH1 Classic would later air the video). This was their second Top 20 pop hit, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their version is playable in the video game Guitar Hero: Van Halen. Some lyrics and words were omitted, such as the line "Come with me baby, be mine tonight".
In 1986 in ska style by the Holy Sisters of the Gaga Dada.
Spoof heavy metal band Bad News covered the song c. 1987 (including it on the 2004 reissue of the Bad News album). As it quickly becomes obvious that the (fictional) band only know the opening lines (and repeat them over and over), the song descends into sarcasm, swearing and general disorder.
Having performed the song in Deutschland sucht den Superstar, Daniel Küblböck recorded the song for his first album Positive Energie.
In 1983, Hong Kong singer Sam Hui covered this song in Cantonese using his comedic lyrics about a woman that looks great from behind until she turned her head and revealed her not so good looking face.
In 1990 Ricky Van Shelton covered the song on RVS III.
In 1990, Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for the soundtrack to their TV documentary Rockin' Through the Decades.
In 1991, Nokie Edwards performed an instrumental version of the song live in Japan.
Ray Brown, Jr. released a jazz-style version of this song on the album Stand by Me
Rockapella has released several versions of the song and was a concert staple for well over a decade. This song has also been parodied the song twice on Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? as musical clues for the gum shoe contestants.
The Boogie Bass (one of the many variations of the popular Big Mouth Billy Bass) sang a parody of "Oh, Pretty Woman" titled "Pretty Fishy".
Green Day has covered the song live.
Westlife has covered the song live on their The Number Ones Tour.
Sharleen Spiteri has covered the song in her album The Movie Songbook
Bon Jovi covers this song live as a mix in with their own hits "Bad Medicine" or sometimes also "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead", with Bobby Bandiera helping on vocals since the Lost Highway Tour.
Kal Ho Naa Ho, a 2003 Indian romantic comedy-drama film, includes a cover on the popular soundtrack.
On October 29, 2009 Bruce Springsteen and John Fogerty sang Oh, Pretty Woman live at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.
South African singer Ray Dylan recorded a cover on his album Goeie Ou Country Vol. 2.
In November 2013 The Overtones covered the song for their album Saturday Night at the Movies
Peter Capaldi played the opening guitar riff in character as The Doctor in the 2015 Doctor Who episode "The Magician's Apprentice".
