About The Song
Long before he became one of country music’s most beloved and consistent hitmakers, Conway Twitty exploded onto the international music scene as a rock and roll sensation, largely thanks to the monumental success of his 1958 single, “It’s Only Make Believe”. Co-written by Twitty (under his birth name, Harold Lloyd Jenkins) and his drummer Jack Nance, this dramatic power ballad became a defining song of the late 50s rock era, topping pop charts worldwide and showcasing Twitty’s unique, powerful voice and emotive delivery to a massive audience.
Released on MGM Records in 1958, “It’s Only Make Believe” arrived during the first wave of rock and roll, instantly setting Conway Twitty apart with its blend of vulnerability and simmering intensity. While he would later transition genres and achieve legendary status in country music from the mid-1960s onwards, this early triumph established him as a major star first and foremost within the realm of rock and roll, placing him alongside the leading figures of that formative musical period. The song’s creation, involving both Twitty and his bandmate Nance, highlights its organic origins within his early performing unit.
Musically, “It’s Only Make Believe” is a quintessential early rock and roll ballad, distinct from the countrypolitan sounds Twitty would later embrace. The arrangement likely features instrumentation characteristic of the era: perhaps a prominent, slightly melancholic guitar line, supportive piano chords, potentially doo-wop influenced backing vocals providing harmonic texture, and a solid rhythm section laying down a slow, steady beat that allows the dramatic tension to build. The defining element, however, is Twitty’s remarkable vocal performance. He delivers the lyrics with a distinctive deep, resonant voice that builds from a near-whisper in the verses to a powerful, almost anguished intensity in the climactic sections, incorporating his signature slight growl that became instantly recognizable.
The central theme of the song explores the profound heartache and confusion of realizing that a deeply desired relationship is based on pretense and ultimately lacks genuine reciprocity. The title phrase, “It’s Only Make Believe,” serves as the narrator’s painful acknowledgment that the connection, despite their own strong feelings and perhaps wishful thinking, isn’t real or shared equally by the other person (“My hopes, my dreams, my heart, it seems / Are only make believe”). It delves into the pain of unrequited love, the longing for authentic connection, and the quiet desperation of loving someone whose feelings are perceived as insincere or merely an act.
Conway Twitty‘s vocal delivery masterfully captures the emotional core of this theme. He conveys the narrator’s deep yearning, the building frustration, and the ultimate heartbreak with incredible power and control. His dynamic performance, moving from quiet vulnerability to intense emotional peaks, makes the listener feel the full weight of the narrator’s realization that they are trapped in a love that “It’s Only Make Believe.” This performance established his unique vocal signature very early in his career.
The song’s impact was immediate and massive. “It’s Only Make Believe” soared to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in the United States and achieved similar chart-topping success in the UK, Canada, and numerous other countries around the world. This phenomenal global success instantly transformed Conway Twitty from a relatively unknown performer into a major international rock and roll star.
While Conway Twitty would go on to build an even more extensive and legendary career in country music, “It’s Only Make Believe” remains one of the most iconic and enduring hits of the entire early rock and roll era. Its powerful blend of vulnerability and intensity, the unforgettable vocal performance, and its timeless theme of unrequited love and relationship pretense ensure its continued relevance. Co-written by Twitty and Jack Nance, it stands as the pivotal record that launched a truly remarkable career in popular music.