Be Honest with Me

"Be Honest with Me"
Single by Gene Autry
B-side	"What's Gonna Happen to Me"[1]
Published	October 11, 1940 (1940-10-11) by Western Music Publishing Co., Hollywood, Calif.[2]
Released	January 17, 1941 (1941-01-17)[3]
Recorded	August 20, 1940 (1940-08-20)[4]
Studio	CBS Columbia Square, Hollywood, California[4][5]
Genre	Hillbilly, Western
Length	2:45
Label	Okeh 05980[4][1]
Songwriter(s)	Gene Autry, Fred Rose[2]
Producer(s)	Art Satherly[5]
Gene Autry singles chronology
"You Waited Too Long" (1940) "Be Honest with Me" (1941) "You Are My Sunshine / It Makes No Difference Now" (1941)

"Be Honest With Me" was a 1940 song by Gene Autry and Fred Rose.^[2] The recording by Autry was one of the big Hillbilly (Country and Western) hits of 1941, and was nominated for the 1942 Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Autry recorded it on August 20, 1940 at CBS Columbia Square Studios, Hollywood, California.^[4] At the time, the working title was "Be Honest With Me Dear", and Autry was the sole songwriter. Later in the year, it was decided the song would be included in the singing cowboy's latest film, 'Ridin' on a Rainbow', directed by Lew Landers. One week before the film was released on January 24, 1941, "Be Honest with Me" was released on Columbia Records budget Hillbilly label, Okeh 5980, coupled with "What's Gonna Happen to Me".^[1] An error on the disc label lists "Autry" as the sole songwriter. However, sources including publishing info^[2] and geneautry.com^[3] confirm it was an Autry-Rose collaboration. Error on disc label carried down several years. It reached the top of The Billboard's monthly Hilllbilly chart during the fall of 1941,^[6] and finished as the No. 3 song of 1941 to "You Are My Sunshine" and Ernest Tubb's "Walking the Floor Over You". The film received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Be Honest with Me"^[7]

Despite his enormous success, Autry dutifully enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942. He and Rose wrote their last numbers together when he returned in 1944, including their biggest hit, "At Mail Call Today". 1940-41 was their most prolific time together, and "Be Honest With Me" their biggest hit during that time. It is notable that the song was covered by the major Hillbilly acts of the day (see Cover versions) in 1941, plus Bing Crosby, the number one popular singer.

Chart performance

Charts (1941)	Rank
US Billboard National Best Selling Retail Records	17
"The Billboard Hillbilly Record Hits of the Month" column[6]	1
US Billboard National Best Selling Retail Records Year-End	147
"The Billboard Hillbilly Record Hits" Year-End	3

Cover versions

• Red Foley covered the song in a recording session on March 26, 1941. The single was released by Decca Records (#5936) in April 1941, with "Ridin' on a Rainbow" on the flipside.^[8]
• Jimmy Wakely and His Rough Riders recorded the song in April 9, 1941, which was released by Decca Records (#5942) on April 22, 1941, with "Won't You Remember" on the flipside.^[8]
• Roy Acuff and His Smoky Mountain Boys recorded the song in April 28, 1941, which was released by Okeh Records (#6229) on June 3, 1941, with "Worried Mind" on the flipside.^[9][10]
• Dick Robertson and His Orchestra recorded the song on May 9, 1941 . The single was released by Decca Records (#3791) in July 1941, with "Goodbye, dear, I'll be back in a year" on the flipside.^[11]
• Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter Eight recorded the song on May 23, 1941 . The single was released by Decca Records (#3856) in June 1941, with "Goodbye, Little Darlin’, Goodbye"^[12] on the flipside.^[13]
• Freddy Martin and His Orchestra Clyde Rogers; Eddie Stone recorded the song in July 23, 1941, which was released by Victor Records (#6229) on June 3, 1941, with "Is it taboo? (To fall in love with you)" on the flipside.^[14]

References

1. "OKeh 05980 (5600 10" Popular)". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
2. Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1940). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1940 Musical Compositions New Series Vol 35 Pt 3 For the Year 1940. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
3. "GeneAutry.com: Music, Movies & More - The Essential Gene Autry, 1931-1953". www.geneautry.com. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
4. Russell, Tony (2004). Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921–1942. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 85. ISBN 0-19-513989-5.
5. "Brunswick matrix LA2313. Be honest with me / Gene Autry". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
6. "The Billboard September 27, 1941 p69". worldradiohistory.com. September 27, 1941. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
7. "1942 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". www.oscars.org. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
8. "Decca matrix 68961. Be honest with me / Jimmy Wakely and his Rough Riders". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
9. "Columbia matrix C3700. Be honest with me / Roy Acuff; Smoky Mountain Boys". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
10. "OKeh (by CBS) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 6000 - 6500". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
11. "Decca matrix 69166. Be honest with me / Dick Robertson Orchestra". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
12. "Decca 3856 (10-in. double-faced)". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
13. "Decca matrix DLA 2401. Be honest with me / Bing Crosby". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
14. "Victor matrix PBS-061379. Be honest with me / Freddy Martin Orchestra; Clyde Rogers; Eddie Stone". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2023-11-09.