Eddie Arnold, R.I.P.

Via See-Dubya at Michelle Malkin, one last tip of the hat to the Tennessee Plowboy:

The Hank Cochran-penned "Make the World Go Away," a defining 1965 No. 1 country hit which made the pop top 10 in both America and Britain, perfectly encapulates a sentiment common to everyone who's ever bred cattle or just eaten them. "Make the world go away/And get it off my shoulders/Say the things you used to say/And make the world go away..." Did any troubled, wishful lyric ever better express the appeal not just of love but of music itself?

My mother worked at RCA's Atlanta office in the late '60s and early '70s, and of all the stars who ever stopped by their office, Eddie Arnold was her favorite: A perfect gentleman who was unfailingly courteous and friendly toward the "little people."

One of the great secrets of success -- not just in music, but in anything else -- is to be nice to people, especially the "little people." Elvis Presley got his first break in music because he made an impression on the receptionist at Sun Records. If you think you're going to make it in the long run by sucking up to the rich and powerful while looking down your nose at ordinary people, you're going to be disappointed.