You may never have heard of Mo Pitney or the Don Gibson record “If Hollywood Don’t Need You.” But if that is the case, and you love a great country ballad, you need to watch Pitney’s acoustic performance of the song alone with his guitar in the woods.
I recently discovered Pitney and his wonderful voice. So I only recently ran across this pandemic video he posted on Facebook in October 2020. The young Illinois native is early into what looks to be a promising career. The singer-songwriter has released two studio albums: Behind This Guitar (2016) and Ain’t Lookin’ Back (2020). Both are worth checking out for both Pitney’s voice and his songwriting.
This performance of “If Hollywood Don’t Need You,” with nothing but a guitar and the trees behind Pitney, reveals the depth of Pitney’s talents. He takes a great song, which has been one of his favorite songs since he was a kid, and he breaks your heart.
Don Gibson released his version of the song — also known with a parenthetical as “If Hollywood Don’t Need You (Honey I Still Do)” — in 1982. Originally appearing on Gibson’s album Listen to the Radio, “If Hollywood Don’t Need You” went to number one on the country charts for Gibson, who passed away in 2003.
Pitney made a video for the song back in 2016. But in this 2020 performance and video, the setting in the woods highlights the aching in the song’s tale. The singer professes his love in a letter to the woman who left him to pursue her dreams. He knows he has to let her go, hoping she makes “the big time” and that her dreams come true. But, he reminds her, if Hollywood doesn’t need her, he will be there waiting for her.
The song was written by Bob McDill. The songwriter wrote country classics, including Gibson’s “Good Ole Boys Like Me,” which we previously wrote about.
Here,”If Hollywood Don’t Need You” has several layers. On the surface, the singer is wishing the best to his former lover while letting her know he misses her. But underneath it all one may hear the words as an appeal asking her to return.
And no matter how you interpret the lyrics, there also is a cool reference to actor Burt Reynolds: “Oh, and if you see Burt Reynolds / Would you shake his hand for me? / And tell old Burt, I’ve seen all his movies.” Check it out.
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