Touch the Hand

"Touch the Hand" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Conway Twitty. It was released in August 1975 as the first single from the album High Priest of Country Music. A ballad that became one of his 41 Billboard magazine No. 1 songs (all but one of them on the Hot Country Singles charts), the song represented one half of a double-sided hit for Twitty in 1975. The other side was "Don't Cry Joni." The song was written by Twitty and Ron Peterson.

Story of "Don't Cry Joni"

"Don't Cry Joni" is Twitty's duet with his then 16-year-old daughter, Joni Lee Jenkins. According to country music writer Tom Roland, Joni Lee had wanted — after years of resistance — to become an entertainer, and her father decided that allowing her to duet with him on the song (which he had written years earlier) might provide some encouragement.^[1]

"Don't Cry Joni" represented the only major hit by any of Twitty's children; two other children — Kathy (aka "Jessica James") and Mike (aka "Charlie Tango") — failed to achieve notable success.^[1] In addition, the song was one of just two non-Loretta Lynn duets in which Twitty had major success (the other being a guest shot on Ronnie McDowell's 1988 cover of "It's Only Make Believe.")

This "B-side" single began achieving its popularity at the end of the summer of 1975, and eventually peaked at No. 4 that October. Its peak in popularity was unusual; Roland noted that the popularity of most other two-sided hits usually happened concurrently.^[1]

Plot

The song's plot is about a 15-year-old girl (Joni, sung by Joni Lee) who develops a crush on a 22-year-old neighbor of her family (Jimmy, of which part was sung by the elder Twitty). Despite Joni begging in a love letter to Jimmy to "please say you'll wait for me" so that they may someday get married, and pleading fidelity in the meantime ("Saving all my kisses just for you, signed with love forever true"), Jimmy goes over to Joni's house to explain their age differences and that he needs to find a suitable wife now. Joni is brought to tears with this realization.

Later in the song, Jimmy moves away and tries to find the woman of his dreams, but Joni's words ("Jimmy please say you'll wait for me, I'll grow up someday you'll see") are burned into his mind. Five years pass, and Jimmy realizes that Joni — although seven years his junior — may be the girl he was looking for all along. Jimmy decides to go back to his hometown, look up Joni and try to start a relationship ... only to realize his own heartbreak: Joni has married Jimmy's best friend, John.

Chart performance

Chart (1975)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles^[2]	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	8

References

1 2 3 Roland, Tom, "The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits" (Billboard Books, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1991 (ISBN 0-82-307553-2)), p. 146-147
↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 361.

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Preceded by "Movin' On" by Merle Haggard & the Strangers	Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single July 19-July 26, 1975	Succeeded by "Just Get Up and Close the Door" by Johnny Rodriguez

Conway Twitty

Studio albums	Sings Saturday Night with Conway Twitty Lonely Blue Boy House on Old Lonesome Road Crazy in Love Even Now Final Touches

Collaboration albums	We Only Make Believe Lead Me On Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man Country Partners Dynamic Duo

Compilation albums	25 Number Ones

Notable singles	"It's Only Make Believe" "Mona Lisa" "Danny Boy" "Next in Line" "I Love You More Today" "To See My Angel Cry" "Hello Darlin'" "Fifteen Years Ago" "How Much More Can She Stand" "I Can't See Me Without You" "(Lost Her Love) On Our Last Date" "I Can't Stop Loving You" "She Needs Someone to Hold Her (When She Cries)" "You've Never Been This Far Before" "There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)" "I'm Not Through Loving You Yet" "I See the Want To in Your Eyes" "Linda on My Mind" "Touch the Hand" "This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me" "After All the Good Is Gone" "The Games That Daddies Play" "I Can't Believe She Gives It All to Me" "Play Guitar Play" "I've Already Loved You in My Mind" "Georgia Keeps Pulling on My Ring" "Boogie Grass Band" "Your Love Had Taken Me That High" "Don't Take It Away" "I May Never Get to Heaven" "Happy Birthday Darlin'" "I'd Love to Lay You Down" "Rest Your Love on Me" "Tight Fittin' Jeans" "Red Neckin' Love Makin' Night" "The Clown" "Slow Hand" "We Did But Now You Don't" "The Rose" "We Had It All" "Lost in the Feeling" "Heartache Tonight" "Three Times a Lady" "Somebody's Needin' Somebody" "I Don't Know a Thing About Love (The Moon Song)" "Ain't She Somethin' Else" "Don't Call Him a Cowboy" "Between Blue Eyes and Jeans" "Desperado Love" "Fallin' for You for Years" "Julia" "I Want to Know You Before We Make Love" "That's My Job" "Goodbye Time" "Saturday Night Special" "I Wish I Was Still in Your Dreams" "She's Got a Single Thing in Mind" "House on Old Lonesome Road" "Fit to Be Tied Down" "Crazy in Love" "I Couldn't See You Leavin'" "Rainy Night in Georgia"

Collaboration singles	"After the Fire Is Gone" "Lead Me On" "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" "Feelins'" "The Letter" "I Can't Love You Enough" "Making Believe" "Don't Cry Joni"

Related articles	Discography Discography with Loretta Lynn MGM Records Decca Records MCA Records Elektra Records Warner Bros. Records Joni Lee

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