School’s In For Autumn: “Bird Dog” by The Everly Brothers

Very occasionally there’s a record which does the double, a transatlantic number two. “Bird Dog” is one such record; in Britain it was runner-up to Tommy Edwards’ reworking of “It’s All In The Game” and as such Lena has already written about it. I don’t have much to add to her commentary except to note that, just as Supergrass were in their heart of hearts best when they were writing songs about being told to sit up straight at the back of the bus, Don and Phil work most powerfully when they sing from the perspective of frustrated, hormone-crazed teenagers – their acoustic guitars sting like freshly-harvested shards of nettle. The question does occur as to why all of these songs were sung by two guys, two different (though complementary) voices, but it is quickly realised that the reason we’re hearing two voices is so that their immaculate harmonies, which will define virtually everything and everyone who comes after them in pop, can be shown off, as hormone-crazed teenagers are wont to do.

Date Record Made Number Two: 20 September 1958, 11 October 1958

Number of Weeks At Number Two: 3 (2 in September, 1 in October)

Record At Number One: “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volaré)” by Domenico Modugno (September); "It's All In The Game" by Tommy Edwards (October)

UK Chart Position: 2

Other Information:
A “bird dog” in American football terms is a quarterback who stares down receivers before throwing the ball at them, and so Don’s querulous and resentment-ridden spoken asides can be viewed as a viable equivalent; staring down Johnny in the knowledge that he will probably never get next to her, in the fullest of senses.

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