About The Song
“Invitation to the Blues” was released by Ray Price in 1958 as the B-side to his single “City Lights” on Columbia Records. The single came out on June 9, 1958, with “City Lights” reaching No. 1 on the Billboard country charts for 13 weeks. The B-side peaked at No. 3 on the Most Played C&W by Jockeys chart in July, staying on the charts for 19 weeks, and reached No. 92 on the Hot 100. Recorded in Nashville under producer Don Law, the track runs 2:49 minutes and features a shuffle beat with steel guitar and fiddle. It did not appear on a specific album at release but later showed up in compilations like The Essential Ray Price 1951-1962 and Greatest Hits. The song was written by Roger Miller, who was starting his career as a songwriter and fiddler in Price’s band, the Cherokee Cowboys. Miller based it on observations of heartbreak, possibly from his own experiences or those around him after his Army service.
Ray Price, born Noble Ray Price on January 12, 1926, in Perryville, Texas, grew up during the Great Depression, moving between his divorced parents’ homes. He learned guitar from his mother and performed on local radio as a teenager. After serving in the Marines during World War II, he played in Texas clubs and on radio stations like KRBC in Abilene. Influenced by Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell, he signed with Columbia in 1951. Initial singles underperformed until he formed the Cherokee Cowboys, which included future stars like Willie Nelson on bass and Johnny Paycheck.
The lyrics describe a man unable to sleep after a breakup: he walks the floor all night, feeling lonely since losing his partner. He refers to receiving her “invitation to the blues,” highlighting the ongoing pain with lines like “Don’t know how I’ll stand this anymore” and “Lonely are the times since I lost you.” The song asks for sympathy amid the despair.
On tour in 1958, Price performed it at a Texas dance hall where a fan, recently broken up, requested it multiple times. According to accounts in Price biographies and fan stories, the man reconciled with his partner during the show, attributing it to the song’s impact on his attitude. Miller later described the writing process as quick, turning personal observations into a track that fit Price’s delivery.
The song has been covered by others: Emmylou Harris recorded a duet version with Rodney Crowell on her 1975 album Elite Hotel, adding folk elements. Tom Waits included a version on his 1976 album Small Change, with a rougher vocal style. Price revisited it on his 2007 album Time, duetting with Willie Nelson. Over his career, Price charted 109 singles, including eight No. 1 hits, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996. He died on December 16, 2013, at age 87 from pancreatic cancer. “Invitation to the Blues” remains part of his early honky-tonk output, contributing to his influence in country music.
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Lyric
I couldn’t sleep last night, just walked the floor
Don’t know how I’ll stand this anymore
Lonely all the times since I lost you
Received your invitation to the blues
I don’t know why you caused me such pain
I just hope I’ll never go through this much again
Thanks for sending something I can’t use
Received your invitation to the blues
You took the laughter from this world of mine
Thanks to you, the sun will never shine
Walked the floor so much, wore out my shoes
Received your invitation to the blues
I don’t know why you caused me such pain
I just hope I’ll never go through this much again
Lonely me, I don’t know what to do
Received your invitation to the blues