“Last Kiss,” performed by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, is one of the most popular songs in the teenage tragedy genre that was wildly popular in the late 1950s and 1960s. DJs often referred to these tunes as “tear jerkers” or “death discs.” Cemented in listeners’ hearts by the untimely death of the 24-year-old James Dean, teenage tragedy songs continue to speak to the pain of losing someone so young. In “Last Kiss” the singer takes the point of view of the dead person’s sweetheart.
Well, where oh where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me
She’s gone to heaven, so I got to be good
So I can see my baby when I leave this world
“Last Kiss” opens with the singer lamenting the death of his girlfriend. He shares from the very beginning that he believes she’s gone to heaven, so he must live his life so he can end up there with her in the end. When J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers recorded the song in 1964, they were the second to try their voices at the tune. However, due to the band’s personal tragedy, their version gained much more popularity than Wayne Cochran’s original.
While driving the band on tour, record producer Sonley Roush fell asleep at the wheel and rammed into a trailer truck. He died, but the band members survived the accident. Seeing J. Frank Wilson hobble on stage with his crutches to sing “Last Kiss” became a striking image and had an impact on record sales.
We were out on a date in my daddy’s car
We hadn’t driven very far
There in the road, straight ahead
The car was stalled the engine was deadI couldn’t stop so I swerved to the right
I’ll never forget the sound that night
The crying tires, the busting glass
The painful scream that I heard last
In traditional ballad style, “Last Kiss” tells a story, usually in chronological order. This song is about an unavoidable car accident, which causes the death of the singer’s girlfriend.
Well, when I woke up, the rain was pouring down
There were people standing all around
Something warm running in my eyes
But I found my baby somehow that nightI raised her head and she smiled and said
“Hold me darling for a little while”
I held her close I kissed her our last kiss
I found the love that I knew I would miss
But now she’s gone even though I hold her tight
I lost my love my life that night
The narrative continues, and it’s clear his girl was thrown from the car. He holds her as she dies in his arms. However, it’s clear that the speaker is not able to move forward from holding her in the rain that fateful evening. He still “hold[s] her tight” though she’s now gone.
“Last Kiss” focuses on being in the moment with the person as they die–knowing each experience is the final, last iteration. The last hug, the last kiss, the last goodbye. In order to console himself, the speaker believes if he is “good,” he “can see my baby when [he] leave[s] this world.” He hopes the day will come when he will get another chance to see her and hold her again.
Every generation has lost its share of young people and artists. These teenage tragedy songs speak to culture’s interest in sorrow, death, and heartache. “Last Kiss” serves as a reminder that terrible accidents happen, life is fragile, and saying goodbye can be hard to do.
