EVERY UK NUMBER ONE SONG: ‘Sailor’ – Petula Clark

What was the number one song in the UK on 23rd February 1961?

By Hayley Beasley Dye

British singer, Petula Clark was at number one for 1 week with Sailor.

If ever there was a song that reminded me of my parents wailing in a slightly inebriated manner at family gatherings, it’s this song. It’s a nice song nevertheless, despite it’s being tainted by warbling parents. It definitely has that sing-along-ability (hence the enthusiastic renditions I was subjected to).  I hope Petula’s sailor came home to her in the end.

Wikipedia

“Sailor” is the title of the English-language rendering of the 1959 schlager composition “Seemann (Deine Heimat ist das Meer)” originally written in German by Werner Scharfenberger (de) and lyricist Fini Busch (de): featuring lyrics in English by Norman Newell (writing as David West), “Sailor” would in 1961 afford Petula Clark her first UK #1 hit, simultaneously granting Top Ten success to Anne Shelton while also bringing her chart career to a close. Clark was also afforded international success with both her recording of “Sailor” and also with Marin the French-language rendering of the song.

Lyrics