Roy Orbison And The Song He Refused To Release Because It Was “Too Personal”

April 2, 2025

Roy Orbison was not just a name; he was an emotion wrapped in a melody. With his signature sunglasses and hauntingly beautiful voice, he captured the hearts of many. In the early 1960s, as the rock and roll scene was booming, Roy stood out among the crowd. He was a master at weaving stories through his songs, but there was one song he wrote that was too close to his heart to share. It was a piece made from the raw fabric of his life—a song about love and loss that stirred feelings he found too difficult to confront.

The song had come to Roy during a quiet evening in his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee. As he sat on his guitar, the memories of personal struggles and heartaches flooded his mind. He poured everything into those lyrics, each line a piece of his soul. After writing it, he felt a surge of vulnerability, a whirlwind of emotions that left him overwhelmed. “This is too personal,” he whispered to himself, thinking about the pain of heartbreak and longing it evoked. He knew that the world might listen to his heart but might also hurt him if they chose to judge it. With that thought, he decided to keep the song locked away, hidden from the world.

Roy’s refusal to release the song, however, didn’t mean that he stopped creating. Instead, it fueled his passion even more. He dove deeper into his art, channeling his experiences with love, loss, and resilience into other tracks. Songs like “Pretty Woman” and “Crying” became hits, each one filled with the emotional depth that Roy was known for, but it always lingered in the back of his mind—the song that never saw the light of day. He often reflected on it, pondering whether it would ever be safe to share that piece of himself with the audience that adored him.

As the years went by, Roy found comfort in performing and connecting with his fans. Each concert was a reminder of the power of music to create joy and bring people together, even when it was born from heartache. The world knew him as the “Big O,” a symbol of hope and redemption. Though he never released the deeply personal song, it inspired him to explore other themes of vulnerability in his music. It taught him that sharing the joys of success and the pains of life are both essential to the human experience, even if it means facing your fears.

In the late 80s, after years of perseverance and a return to the spotlight, Roy felt a shift within himself. He had learned to embrace every part of his journey, recognizing that even the most painful experiences could lead to something beautiful. He decided to revisit the unrecorded song, hoping through the years he had come to terms with the emotions it contained. This time, he felt ready—ready to share his truth, ready to let others feel what he felt.

Even though Roy Orbison never released that special song during his lifetime, its existence shaped his artistry. It reminded him and everyone who listened that music is a powerful tool for healing and connection. In the end, Roy’s legacy wasn’t just in the songs that topped charts, but also in the strength he found by daring to be vulnerable. The story of that unreleased song became a reminder to everyone—that sometimes our deepest emotions can lead to the most profound joy, and it’s okay to be brave enough to share them with the world.