“It Should’ve Been Me”

“It Should’ve Been Me” was an early Ray Charles single from 1954. Cool and comical, it has the distinction of being the only 1950s Ray Charles song from a single not to be included on any of Atlantic’s four compilation albums of the period. Those LPs – Ray Charles, Yes Indeed!, What’d I Say, and The Genius Sings The Blues – found room for everything else but “It Should’ve Been Me”.

Which is certainly no slight against this song. “It Should’ve Been Me” is an undeniable Ray classic, in which the singer tells several anecdotes of witnessing lucky guys about town – out with beautiful women, wearing nice clothes, even “eating ice cream and cake” – and insisting he deserved to be there more than the actual guys. It alternates between Ray’s spoken stories and the sung chorus, where his bellowing of the title phrase is followed by a funny backing voice that completes the sentence. For example:

It should’ve been me
(With that real fine chick!)
It should’ve been meeeee
(With that real fine chick!)

Poor Ray – surrounded by such happiness and none for himself. The mood of “It Should’ve Been Me” isn’t blue and dejected, though; it’s for too enjoyable and lighthearted to be anything but a toe-tapping, hand-clapping riot. The song was re-released on a single in 1961, this time as B-side to a different song, but again not chosen for an album. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride – just like the protagonist himself.

Single releases

Listen to “It Should’ve Been Me”

Get your own “It Should’ve Been Me” on 45 or MP3 from Amazon. Or get the complete Atlantic recordings 7xCD box set.