Green, Green Grass of Home - wikipedia Green, Green Grass of Home For the Tom Jones album, see Green, Green Grass of Home ( album ). `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' Single by Porter Wagoner from the album On the Road : The Porter Wagoner Show Released 1965 Genre Country Length 2 : 21 Label RCA Victor Songwriter ( s ) Curly Putman Porter Wagoner singles chronology `` I 'm Gonna Feed You Now '' ( 1965 ) `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' ( 1965 ) `` Skid Row Joe '' ( 1965 ) `` I 'm Gonna Feed You Now '' ( 1965 ) `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' ( 1965 ) `` Skid Row Joe '' ( 1965 ) `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' Single by Tom Jones from the album Green, Green Grass of Home B - side `` Promise Her Anything '' Released November 1966 Genre Country, schlager Length 3 : 05 Label Decca Records F22511 Songwriter ( s ) Curly Putman Producer ( s ) Peter Sullivan Tom Jones singles chronology `` This and That '' ( 1966 ) `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' ( 1966 ) `` Detroit City '' ( 1967 ) `` This and That '' ( 1966 ) `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' ( 1966 ) `` Detroit City '' ( 1967 ) `` Green, Green Grass of Home '', written by Claude `` Curly '' Putman, Jr. and first recorded by singer Johnny Darrell, is a country song originally made popular by Porter Wagoner in 1965, when it reached No. 4 on the country chart. That same year it was sung by Bobby Bare, and later Tom Jones, in 1966, when it became a worldwide No. 1 hit. The song had also been recorded the previous year in 1965 by Jerry Lee Lewis, and included on his album Country Songs for City Folks ( later re-issued as All Country ), and Jones had learned the song from Lewis 's version. Contents 1 Lyrics 2 Tom Jones version 2.1 Chart performance 3 Other versions 4 References 5 External links Lyrics A man returns to his childhood home ; it seems that this is his first visit home since leaving in his youth. When he steps down from the train, his parents are there to greet him, and his beloved, Mary, comes running to join them. All is welcome and peace ; all come to meet him with `` arms reaching, smiling sweetly. '' With Mary the man strolls at ease among the monuments of his childhood, including `` the old oak tree that I used to play on. '' It is `` good to touch the green, green grass of home. '' Yet the music and the words are full of foreshadowing, strongly suggestive of mourning. Abruptly, the man switches from song to speech as he awakens in prison : `` Then I awake and look around me, at four grey walls that surround me. And I realize that I was only dreaming. '' He is, indeed, on death row. As the singing resumes, we learn that the man is waking on the day of his scheduled execution ( `` there 's a guard, and there 's a sad old padre, arm in arm, we 'll walk at daybreak '' ), and he will return home only to be buried : `` Yes, they 'll all come to see me in the shade of that old oak tree, as they lay me ' neath the green, green grass of home. '' The Joan Baez version ends : `` Yes, we 'll all be together in the shade of the old oak tree / When we meet beneath the green, green grass of home. '' Tom Jones version Welsh singer Tom Jones, who was appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965, visited Colony Records while staying in New York City. On asking if they had any new works by Jerry Lee Lewis, he was given the new country album. Impressed with the song, Jones recorded and released the song in the UK in 1966 and it reached No. 1 on 1 December, staying there for a total of seven weeks. The song has sold 1.23 million copies in the UK as of November 2012. Jones ' version also reached # 11 pop, # 12 easy listening on the Billboard US charts. In February 2009, Jones performed the song live on a special Take - Away Show with Vincent Moon, along with `` If He Should Ever Leave You '' and `` We Got Love '', live in front of a camera in a hotel room in New York. In September 2006, Jones performed the song as a duet with Jerry Lee Lewis during the taping of the latter 's Last Man Standing TV special in New York City, and credited Lewis with providing the inspiration behind his own recording. Jones sang the song on the 2009 / 10 edition of Jool 's Annual Hootenanny on 1 January 2010. Chart performance Chart ( 1967 ) Peak position Irish Singles Chart UK Singles Chart Norwegian Singles Chart Australian Kent Music Report New Zealand Singles Chart Austrian Top 40 German Singles Chart 6 Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Singles 10 US Billboard Hot 100 11 Canadian RPM Top 100 47 Other versions Since then it has been recorded by many other solo vocalists and groups including : 1965 : Del Reeves on his second album, Doodle - Oo - Doo - Doo 1966 : Bobby Bare on his album, The Streets of Baltimore 1966 : Charley Pride on the album Country 1967 : Gene Parsons with the band Nashville West ( album released in 1978 ) 1967 The Statler Brothers on their album Sing The Big Hits 1967 : Roger Miller on his album Walkin ' in the Sunshine 1967 : A Serbo - Croatian language version by Miki Jevremović as Zelena Zelena Trava Doma Mog... Diskos -- EDK - 3068 Vinyl, 7 ``, 45 RPM, EP, Mono 1967 : A Swedish version by Stig Anderson as `` En sång en gång för längesen '', of which both Björn Ulvaeus ' Hootenanny Singers and Jan Malmsjö each had a 1967 Svensktoppen hit with, for six and 33 weeks respectively. 1967 : Dalida, under the name of Les grilles de ma maison, disc ( Super 45 t : 71167 ) 1967 : Dean Martin on the album Welcome to My World 1967 : Jürgen Herbst recorded a German coverversion Der Weg zurück nach Haus ' ( CBS 2529 ) 1967 : Agnaldo Timóteo, Brazilian singer, recorded the song on the album Obrigado Querida ( Odeon -- MOFB 3488 ), under the name of Os Verdes Campos Da Minha Terra, lyrics in Portuguese by Geraldo Figueiredo 1967 : Nana Mouskouri under the name of `` Le toit de ma maison '' on the album Le Jour où la colombe 1968 : Johnny Cash on the album Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison 1968 : Frankie Laine on the album To Each His Own 1968 : Hank Snow on the album Hits, Hits, and More Hits 1968 : Porter Wagoner on the album Green Green Grass of Home 1968 : Johnny Paycheck on the album Country Soul 1968 : Merle Haggard on the album Mama Tried 1968 : George Jones on the album The George Jones Story, and again on his 1972 release, Take Me. 1968 : Trini Lopez on Welcome to Trini Country 1968 : Pozo - Seco Singers on Shades of Time 1968 : Pavel Novák Czech singer as Vím, že jen sním 1969 : Joan Baez on the album David 's Album 1969 : Gé Korsten South African singer recorded an Afrikaans version `` Groene Velde Van My Land '' on the album Sing Seeman Sing 1969 The Grateful Dead performed it live a number of times 1971 : Stompin ' Tom Connors ( a parody version as `` The Green, Green Grass of Home, No. 2 '' ) on the album Stompin ' Tom Connors, ' LIVE ' at the Horseshoe 1972 : The Fatback Band on the album Let 's Do It Again 1975 : Elvis Presley on the album Today 1976 : Gram Parsons and The Flying Burrito Brothers on the album Sleepless Nights 1977 : Kenny Rogers on the album Kenny Rogers 1986 : Nick Cave quotes from the song in the opening line of `` Sad Waters '' on the album Your Funeral, My Trial 1986 : Ted Hawkins on the album On the Boardwalk ( The Venice Beach Tapes ) 1993 : Dennis Brown on the album The General 1993 : Riblja Corba as `` Zelena trava doma mog '' on the album Zbogom Srbijo 2006 : Katherine Jenkins on the album Serenade 2008 : Mike Farris on the album Shout ! Live References ^ Jump up to : Rice, Jo ( 1982 ). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits ( 1st ed. ). Enfield, Middlesex : Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 106. ISBN 0 - 85112 - 250 - 7. Jump up ^ Porter Wagoner 's `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' Chart Position Retrieved July 3, 2012. Jump up ^ Tom Jones, `` The Green Green Grass Of Home '' Video Retrieved July 3, 2012. Jump up ^ `` All the Number One Singles - 1966 ''. Archived from the original on 2011 - 06 - 15. Retrieved 2010 - 04 - 19. Jump up ^ Ami Sedghi ( 4 November 2012 ). `` UK 's million - selling singles : the full list ''. Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2012. Jump up ^ `` Green, Green Grass of Home ( song by Tom Jones ) Music VF, US & UK hits charts ''. Musicvf.com. 1966 - 12 - 24. Retrieved 2014 - 04 - 06. Jump up ^ Un invité ( 2009 - 02 - 09 ). `` Tom Jones - La Blogothèque ''. Blogotheque.net. Retrieved 2011 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ Roberts, David ( 2006 ). British Hit Singles & Albums ( 19th ed. ). London : Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 198 -- 9. ISBN 1 - 904994 - 10 - 5. Jump up ^ `` Svensktoppen : 1967 - 01 - 07 ''. Sr.se. Retrieved 2014 - 04 - 06. External links `` Tom Jones : Green, Green Grass of Home ( 1966 single ) '' at Discogs ( list of releases ) BBC Interview with Tom Jones re. song `` Green Green Grass of Home ''. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by The Beatles `` Day Tripper '' / `` We Can Work It Out '' UK Christmas Number One single `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' by Tom Jones 1966 Succeeded by The Beatles `` Hello, Goodbye '' Preceded by `` Good Vibrations '' by The Beach Boys UK number one single by Tom Jones 3 December 1966 ( for 7 weeks ) Succeeded by `` I 'm a Believer '' by The Monkees Tom Jones Studio albums Along Came Jones ( It 's Not Unusual ) ( 1965 ) What 's New Pussycat ? ( 1965 ) A-tom - ic Jones ( 1966 ) From the Heart ( 1966 ) Green, Green Grass of Home ( 1967 ) Delilah ( 1968 ) Help Yourself ( 1968 ) Reload ( 1999 ) Mr. Jones ( 2002 ) Praise & Blame ( 2010 ) Spirit in the Room ( 2012 ) Long Lost Suitcase ( 2015 ) Live albums John Farnham & Tom Jones -- Together in Concert ( 2005 ) Tom Jones Live in Las Vegas Songs `` All You Need Is Love '' `` Baby, It 's Cold Outside '' `` Black Betty '' `` Burning Down the House '' `` Carrying a Torch '' `` Darlin ' '' `` Daughter of Darkness '' `` Delilah '' `` Detroit City '' `` Gimme Shelter '' `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' `` Help Yourself '' `` I ( Who Have Nothing ) '' `` Islands in the Stream '' `` It 's Four in the Morning '' `` It 's Not Unusual '' `` I 'll Never Fall in Love Again '' `` Kiss '' `` Lady Lay Down '' `` Mama Told Me Not to Come '' `` Move Closer '' `` Say You 'll Stay Until Tomorrow '' `` Sex Bomb '' `` Sixteen Tons '' `` She 's a Lady '' `` Stoned in Love '' `` Till '' `` What 's New Pussycat ? '' `` Without Love ( There Is Nothing ) '' `` The Young New Mexican Puppeteer '' `` Thunderball '' Related articles Discography This Is Tom Jones ( 1969 -- 71 TV show ) Tom Jones ( 1980 -- 81 TV show ) Tom Jones : The Right Time ( 1992 TV show ) The Wexford Carols UK Christmas number - one singles in the 1960s `` I Love You '' ( Cliff Richard & The Shadows, 1960 ) `` Moon River '' ( Danny Williams, 1961 ) `` Return to Sender '' ( Elvis Presley, 1962 ) `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' ( The Beatles, 1963 ) `` I Feel Fine '' ( The Beatles, 1964 ) `` Day Tripper '' / `` We Can Work It Out '' ( The Beatles, 1965 ) `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' ( Tom Jones, 1966 ) `` Hello, Goodbye '' ( The Beatles, 1967 ) `` Lily the Pink '' ( The Scaffold, 1968 ) `` Two Little Boys '' ( Rolf Harris, 1969 ) Complete list 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Katherine Jenkins Studio albums Première Second Nature Living a Dream Serenade Rejoice Sacred Arias Believe Daydream This Is Christmas Home Sweet Home Other albums La Diva From the Heart The Ultimate Collection Sweetest Love One Fine Day Singles `` Time to Say Goodbye '' `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' `` Bring Me to Life '' Video albums Live at Llangollen Viva la Diva Related content Discography Time to Say Hello : The Autobiography Best - selling singles by year in the United Kingdom 1952 -- 1969 1952 : `` Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart '' -- Vera Lynn ( UK ) 1953 : `` I Believe '' -- Frankie Laine 1954 : `` Secret Love '' -- Doris Day 1955 : `` Rose Marie '' -- Slim Whitman 1956 : `` I 'll Be Home '' -- Pat Boone 1957 : `` Diana '' -- Paul Anka 1958 : `` Jailhouse Rock '' -- Elvis Presley 1959 : `` Living Doll '' -- Cliff Richard ( UK ) 1960 : `` It 's Now or Never '' -- Elvis Presley 1961 : `` Wooden Heart '' -- Elvis Presley 1962 : `` I Remember You '' -- Frank Ifield ( UK ) 1963 : `` She Loves You '' -- The Beatles ( UK ) 1964 : `` Ca n't Buy Me Love '' -- The Beatles ( UK ) 1965 : `` Tears '' -- Ken Dodd ( UK ) 1966 : `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' -- Tom Jones ( UK ) 1967 : `` Release Me '' -- Engelbert Humperdinck ( UK ) 1968 : `` Hey Jude '' -- The Beatles ( UK ) 1969 : `` Sugar, Sugar '' -- The Archies 1970 -- 1989 1970 : `` The Wonder of You '' -- Elvis Presley 1971 : `` My Sweet Lord '' -- George Harrison ( UK ) 1972 : `` Amazing Grace '' -- The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Band ( UK ) 1973 : `` Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree '' -- Tony Orlando and Dawn 1974 : `` Tiger Feet '' -- Mud ( UK ) 1975 : `` Bye Bye Baby '' -- Bay City Rollers ( UK ) 1976 : `` Save Your Kisses for Me '' -- Brotherhood of Man ( UK ) 1977 : `` Mull of Kintyre '' / `` Girls ' School '' -- Wings ( UK ) 1978 : `` Rivers of Babylon '' / `` Brown Girl in the Ring '' -- Boney M. 1979 : `` Bright Eyes '' -- Art Garfunkel 1980 : `` Do n't Stand So Close to Me '' -- The Police ( UK ) 1981 : `` Do n't You Want Me '' -- The Human League ( UK ) 1982 : `` Come On Eileen '' -- Dexys Midnight Runners ( UK ) 1983 : `` Karma Chameleon '' -- Culture Club ( UK ) 1984 : `` Do They Know It 's Christmas ? '' -- Band Aid ( UK ) 1985 : `` The Power of Love '' -- Jennifer Rush 1986 : `` Do n't Leave Me This Way '' -- The Communards ( UK ) 1987 : `` Never Gonna Give You Up '' -- Rick Astley ( UK ) 1988 : `` Mistletoe and Wine '' -- Cliff Richard ( UK ) 1989 : `` Ride on Time '' -- Black Box 1990 -- 2009 1990 : `` Unchained Melody '' -- The Righteous Brothers 1991 : `` ( Everything I Do ) I Do It for You '' -- Bryan Adams 1992 : `` I Will Always Love You '' -- Whitney Houston 1993 : `` I 'd Do Anything for Love ( But I Wo n't Do That ) '' -- Meat Loaf 1994 : `` Love Is All Around '' -- Wet Wet Wet ( UK ) 1995 : `` Unchained Melody '' -- Robson & Jerome ( UK ) 1996 : `` Killing Me Softly '' -- Fugees 1997 : `` Something About the Way You Look Tonight '' / `` Candle in the Wind 1997 '' -- Elton John ( UK ) 1998 : `` Believe '' -- Cher 1999 : ``... Baby One More Time '' -- Britney Spears 2000 : `` Can We Fix It ? '' -- Bob the Builder ( UK ) 2001 : `` It Was n't Me '' -- Shaggy featuring Rikrok ( UK ) 2002 : `` Anything Is Possible '' / `` Evergreen '' -- Will Young ( UK ) 2003 : `` Where Is the Love ? '' -- The Black Eyed Peas 2004 : `` Do They Know It 's Christmas ? '' -- Band Aid 20 ( UK ) 2005 : `` Is This the Way to Amarillo '' -- Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay ( UK ) 2006 : `` Crazy '' -- Gnarls Barkley 2007 : `` Bleeding Love '' -- Leona Lewis ( UK ) 2008 : `` Hallelujah '' -- Alexandra Burke ( UK ) 2009 : `` Poker Face '' -- Lady Gaga 2010 -- present 2010 : `` Love the Way You Lie '' -- Eminem featuring Rihanna 2011 : `` Someone Like You '' -- Adele ( UK ) 2012 : `` Somebody That I Used to Know '' -- Gotye featuring Kimbra 2013 : `` Blurred Lines '' -- Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams 2014 : `` Happy '' -- Pharrell Williams 2015 : `` Uptown Funk '' -- Mark Ronson ( UK ) featuring Bruno Mars 2016 : `` One Dance '' -- Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla ( UK ) Johnny Cash Studio albums With His Hot and Blue Guitar Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous The Fabulous Johnny Cash Greatest ! Songs of Our Soil Sings Hank Williams Now, There Was a Song ! Now Here 's Johnny Cash The Sound of Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train Ring of Fire : The Best of Johnny Cash The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash I Walk the Line Orange Blossom Special Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness Is You Old Golden Throat More of Old Golden Throat Hello, I 'm Johnny Cash The World of Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love Any Old Wind That Blows Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver Rockabilly Blues The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Rainbow Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Classic Cash : Hall of Fame Series Water from the Wells of Home Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life American Recordings Unchained American III : Solitary Man American IV : The Man Comes Around Personal File American V : A Hundred Highways American VI : Ai n't No Grave Out Among the Stars Concept albums Ride This Train Blood, Sweat and Tears Bitter Tears : Ballads of the American Indian Sings the Ballads of the True West From Sea to Shining Sea America : A 200 - Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Children 's Album The Rambler Gospel albums Hymns by Johnny Cash Hymns from the Heart The Holy Land The Gospel Road ( film soundtrack ) Sings Precious Memories A Believer Sings the Truth Believe in Him Return to the Promised Land ( video soundtrack ) My Mother 's Hymn Book Christmas albums The Christmas Spirit The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Classic Christmas Johnny Cash Country Christmas Collaborations The Lure of the Grand Canyon Carryin ' On with Johnny Cash and June Carter Johnny Cash and His Woman The Legend of Jesse James The Survivors Live Highwayman Class of ' 55 Heroes Highwayman 2 The Road Goes on Forever VH1 Storytellers Live albums At Folsom Prison At San Quentin The Johnny Cash Show På Österåker Strawberry Cake Koncert v Praze ( In Prague -- Live ) At Madison Square Garden A Concert Behind Prison Walls Non-gospel soundtracks I Walk the Line Little Fauss and Big Halsy Compilations Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Heart of Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Sunday Morning Coming Down International Superstar Five Feet High and Rising Destination Victoria Station Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 The Unissued Johnny Cash Johnny & June Tall Man Encore Biggest Hits The Man in Black 1954 -- 1958 The Man in Black 1959 -- 1962 Come Along and Ride This Train The Essential Johnny Cash ( 1992 ) Wanted Man The Man in Black 1963 -- 1969 The Man in Black -- His Greatest Hits 16 Biggest Hits Love, God, Murder The Essential Johnny Cash ( 2002 ) Unearthed The Legend The Legend of Johnny Cash Johnny Cash : Patriot 16 Biggest Hits : Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II The Complete Columbia Album Collection Songs `` 25 Minutes to Go '' `` Seasons of My Heart '' `` Any Old Wind That Blows '' `` The Ballad of Boot Hill '' `` The Ballad of Ira Hayes '' `` Ballad of a Teenage Queen '' `` Big River '' `` Blistered '' `` A Boy Named Sue '' `` Busted '' `` Cat 's in the Cradle '' `` Cocaine Blues '' `` Cry ! 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'' `` Daddy Sang Bass '' `` Dark as a Dungeon '' `` Do n't Take Your Guns to Town '' `` Engine 143 '' `` Flesh and Blood '' `` The Folk Singer '' `` Folsom Prison Blues '' `` Forty Shades of Green '' `` Get Rhythm '' `` Give My Love to Rose '' `` Goodnight, Irene '' `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' `` Greystone Chapel '' `` Guess Things Happen That Way '' `` Hey, Porter '' `` Home of the Blues '' `` Hurt '' `` I Could n't Keep from Crying '' `` I Love You Because '' `` I Still Miss Someone '' `` I Walk the Line '' `` If I Had a Hammer '' `` If I Were a Carpenter '' `` In My Life '' `` In the Jailhouse Now '' `` It Ai n't Me Babe '' `` Jackson '' `` Kate '' `` The Man Comes Around '' `` Man in Black '' `` The Matador '' `` Oh Lonesome Me '' `` One Piece at a Time '' `` Oney '' `` Orange Blossom Special '' `` The One on the Right Is on the Left '' `` Remember the Alamo '' `` ( Ghost ) Riders in the Sky '' `` Ring of Fire '' `` Rock Island Line '' `` So Doggone Lonesome '' `` Sunday Mornin ' Comin ' Down '' `` Tennessee Flat Top Box '' `` There Ai n't No Good Chain Gang '' `` A Thing Called Love '' `` Understand Your Man '' `` What Is Truth '' `` What 'd I Say '' Television The Johnny Cash Show Family June Carter Cash John Carter Cash Rosanne Cash Carlene Carter Vivian Liberto Tommy Cash Carter Family Related Albums discography Singles discography Sun Records discography The Highwaymen Carter Family Fold Man in Black : His Own Story in His Own Words Cash : The Autobiography Johnny Cash ! The Man, His World, His Music Walk the Line We Walk the Line : A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash Ring of Fire ( 2013 film ) Ring of Fire ( musical ) My Father and the Man in Black Dyess, Arkansas The Tennessee Three Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Green,_Green_Grass_of_Home&oldid=806648025 '' Categories : Christmas number - one singles in the United Kingdom 1965 songs 1966 singles 1967 singles Schlager songs Songs written by Curly Putman Johnny Darrell songs Porter Wagoner songs Tom Jones ( singer ) songs Jerry Lee Lewis songs Bobby Bare songs Johnny Cash songs Joan Baez songs Elvis Presley songs Kenny Rogers songs Trini Lopez songs UK Singles Chart number - one singles Irish Singles Chart number - one singles Dutch Top 40 number - one singles Number - one singles in Norway Songs about death Decca Records singles RCA Records singles RCA Victor singles Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Brezhoneg Dansk Deutsch Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Norsk Norsk nynorsk Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 23 October 2017, at 09 : 48. 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Question: who recorded green green grass of home first
Answer: Johnny Darrell