Introduction
“Oh, Pretty Woman” is a song recorded by Roy Orbison and written by Orbison and Bill Dees. Released as a single in August 1964 on Monument Records, the song spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 from September 26, 1964. It became the second and final single by Orbison to top the US charts. Additionally, it was Orbison’s third single to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart.
The single version and the LP version of “Oh, Pretty Woman” have slightly different lyrics. The LP version, featured on the Oribisongs LP in stereo, includes the intended lyric “come with me baby.” However, for the single release, the lyric was changed to “come to me baby” as the former was deemed too risqué. The song achieved significant success, selling seven million copies and marking a high point in Orbison’s career. It was certified gold by the RIAA in October 1964, and Billboard ranked it as the number four song of 1964.
“Oh, Pretty Woman” was later associated with the 1990 film “Pretty Woman,” starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. The song’s title also inspired the 2018 Broadway musical “Pretty Woman: The Musical.” Additionally, the legal case involving Acuff-Rose suing a parody song based on “Oh, Pretty Woman” established that parody was a valid form of fair use.