About The Song
“Make the World Go Away” was released by Ray Price as a single in June 1963 on Columbia Records. It served as the lead track from his album Burning Memories, which came out that same year and featured 12 songs blending honky-tonk with emerging countrypolitan elements like strings and choruses. Produced by Don Law in Nashville, the song runs about 2:30, showcasing Price’s rich baritone over a gentle shuffle beat, steel guitar, and orchestral swells that marked his stylistic evolution. The album itself peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, reflecting Price’s growing crossover appeal.
The song was written by Hank Cochran, a prolific Nashville songwriter who penned it in the early 1960s amid personal reflections on heartache and escape. Cochran, known for hits like “I Fall to Pieces,” crafted this as a simple plea for relief from emotional burdens, drawing from everyday struggles he observed or experienced. He demoed it himself before Price recorded it, making it one of Cochran’s early breakthroughs. In interviews, Cochran later shared that the melody came quickly during a quiet moment at home, aiming to capture a universal desire to pause life’s chaos through love’s comfort.
Cochran pitched it directly to Price after a chance meeting, and Price loved its emotional depth, recording it swiftly.
Chart-wise, “Make the World Go Away” climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, held back only by Eddy Arnold’s “What’s He Doing in My World,” and reached No. 100 on the Hot 100, marking a modest pop crossover. It charted for several weeks, boosting Price’s profile during a transitional period.
Though first a hit for Price, the song exploded further with Eddy Arnold’s 1965 version, which topped country charts for four weeks, hit No. 6 on the Hot 100, and earned Grammy Hall of Fame induction in 1999. Timi Yuro recorded an earlier pop version in 1963, peaking at No. 24 on the Hot 100. Covers abound: Elvis Presley included it on his 1970 album Elvis Country (I’m 10,000 Years Old); Dean Martin took it to No. 32 adult contemporary in 1970; and artists like Martina McBride, Alison Krauss, and Jamey Johnson have revisited it. In 2005, Price re-recorded it for his album Run That by Me One More Time with Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson.
Fan anecdotes from online forums recall it as a go-to for slow dances at 1960s honky-tonks, with one listener sharing how it helped mend a rift during a family gathering by prompting honest conversation. Its legacy endures as a country standard, symbolizing escapism through love, and has been featured in films like The Help (2011) and TV shows, proving its timeless pull in heartbreak anthems.
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Lyric
Make the world go away
And get it off of my shoulders
Say the things you used to say
And make the world go away
I’m sorry if I hurt you
I’ll make it up, day by day
Just tell me you still love me
And make the world go away
Make the world go away
Just get it off, off of my shoulders
Say the things you used to say
Only you can make it go away
You remember when you loved me?
Before the world took me astray
If you do, then forgive me
And make the world go away (oh-oh-oh)
Make the world go away
Just get it off, off of my shoulders
Say the things you used to say
And make the world go away (go away)