Lonely People - America (1974) 9/11/22

When Dan Peek of the group America first heard the song "Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles, he was deeply affected by the lyric: "All the lonely people, where do they all come from. All the lonely people, where do they all belong."

It stuck with him for a number of years, and in 1973, just after he married his wife, Catherine, they sat down together in their mutual happiness and wrote an "answer song" full of hope for "Lonely People" everywhere.

Their original intention was to have "Lonely People" recorded and released by John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful, but in the end, Dan sang it himself for America's "Holiday" album.

When it was released as a single in late '74, it became an instant hit: #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart and #5 on The Hot 100. In Canada, it reached #2 on the AC Chart.

Lonely People was already a "Great Song of the '70s, but after Dan left America (the group, not the country!) for a solo career in 1977, he would end his concerts with "Lonely People" and mention that "Jesus was the answer to loneliness."

On the advice of a fan, he rewrote the lyrics to underline the message, and in 1986, the new version became a massive hit on Billboard's Christian Charts: #1 on the Christian Hot Adult Contemporary Chart and #2 on the Christian Hot Hits Chart.

"Lonely People" became a "Great Song" TWICE...thanks, in part to the Beatles, America, a fan...and Dan's faith in God.

America (1974):

Dan Peek (1986):

The Beatles "Eleanor Rigby" (1965):