"Alone Again (Naturally)" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan. Recorded in 1971, it became a worldwide hit. The song did not originally appear on his 1972 studio album Back to Front, but has been included in reissues (often replacing "Clair").
| "Alone Again (Naturally)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 German single picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by Gilbert O'Sullivan | ||||
| B-side | "Save It" | |||
| Released | 18 February 1972 (UK)[1] May 1972 (US)[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1971 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:36 | |||
| Label | MAM | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Gilbert O'Sullivan | |||
| Producer(s) | Gordon Mills | |||
| Gilbert O'Sullivan singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Alone Again (Naturally)" at Studio 10 on YouTube | ||||
The single spent six non-consecutive weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 between late July and early September 1972 in America. It ranked number two in the year-end chart and sold over two million copies.[5]
The song was involved in a notable 1991 court case in which it set a precedent for the music industry that unauthorized sampling of music can constitute copyright infringement.[6]
Lyrics
"Alone Again (Naturally)" is a melancholy, introspective ballad. In the first verse, the singer contemplates suicide after having been left at the altar; in the second, he wonders if there is a God; finally, he laments the death of his parents. O'Sullivan has said the song is not autobiographical: for example, his mother was alive during its composition, and he was not close to his father, who was abusive to his mother and died when the singer was 11 years old.[7]
Reception
The song received extensive radio airplay in the months after its release and was critically praised. O'Sullivan commented: “Neil Diamond covered 'Alone Again (Naturally)' and said he couldn't believe a 21-year-old wrote it, but for me it was just one song I had written.”[8] Neil Sedaka stated when he covered the song in 2020 that he wished that he himself had written the song, because its complexity was more typical of someone much older than 21.[9]
Chart performance
Between late July and early September 1972 in America the single spent six non-consecutive weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 – interrupted by Looking Glass's "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" – and ranked no. 2 in the year-end chart. It spent six weeks at number one, 11 weeks in the Top Ten, 15 weeks in the Top 40 and 18 weeks on the Hot 100. In a decade-end survey as counted down on syndicated radio show Casey Kasem's American Top 40, using Billboard statistics, "Alone Again (Naturally)" ranked five. It also spent six weeks at number one on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.[10] In April 1972 "Alone Again" peaked at no. 3 on the UK singles chart.[11]
Copyright lawsuit
Grand Upright Music, Ltd v. Warner Bros. Records Inc. was a copyright case heard in 1991 by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The case pitted O'Sullivan against Biz Markie, after the rapper sampled O'Sullivan's song "Alone Again (Naturally)". The court ruled that sampling without permission can be copyright infringement. The judgment changed the hip hop music industry, requiring that music sampling be preapproved by the original copyright owners to avoid a lawsuit.[28]
Notable cover versions
- A recording by Andy Williams was the title track for the U.S. release of his album of cover songs later in 1972.[29]
- Nina Simone, included as a bonus track on the 1988 digital reissue of her 1982 album Fodder on My Wings.[30] Simone's version has rewritten lyrics, and refer to her troubled relationship with her late father
- Diana Krall released a duet version with Michael Bublé on her 2015 album Wallflower.[31]
- Vulfmon (Jack Stratton, of Vulfpeck) released a version, with vocals by Monica Martin and flute by Hailey Niswanger, for his 2022 album Here We Go Jack.[32]
- Jonathan Coulton included the song in the album Some Guys, a suite of covers of 70's soft rock classics.[33]