“Ain’t That a Shame” is a song written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. Domino’s recording of the song (mistitled on the single’s label as “Ain’t It A Shame”), released by Imperial Records in 1955, was a hit, eventually selling a million copies. It reached number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 10 on the pop chart. The song is ranked number 438 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
The song gained national fame after being re-recorded by the white recording artist Pat Boone. Domino’s version soon became more popular, bringing his music to the mass market a half-dozen years after his first recording, “The Fat Man”.
After “Ain’t That a Shame”, mainstream artists began covering Domino’s songs. Teresa Brewer, for instance, performed Domino’s version of the folk song “Bo Weevil”.
A version of the song by the Four Seasons reached number 22 on the Billboard charts in 1963.
According to legend, Pat Boone suggested changing the title and lyrics to “Isn’t That a Shame” to make it more appealing to a broader audience but was dissuaded by his producers. Nevertheless, Boone’s recording of the song in 1955 was his first Billboard number-one single. Domino complimented Boone’s cover of the song. Boone liked to tell a story about a concert at which Domino invited Boone on stage, showed a big gold ring and said, “Pat Boone bought me this ring.” [Think that every time Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” sold a copy, Dolly Parton got paid for writing the song!]
“Ain’t That a Shame” was the first song that John Lennon learned to play. He later covered it on the album Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Domino performed the song in the 1956 film Shake, Rattle & Rock!. The song is used in the films American Graffiti, October Sky, L.A. Story, School Ties and Mischief. As of April 2007, the song can be heard in commercials for Dr Pepper. It can be heard at the end of the Season Four finale of the television series The Shield. It was also included in the soundtrack for the 2010 video game Mafia II.
Cheap Trick’s version charted at #35 after being released on their live album Cheap Trick at Budokan. (Reportedly, this was Fats Domino’s favorite cover.) Cheap Trick performed the song live as the finale of the 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. They were joined by Robert Lamm, James Pankow, Lee Loughnane and Walter Parazaider of Chicago, David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple, Steve Miller, Sheryl Crow, Grace Potter, Steven Van Zandt, Rob Thomas and Paul Shaffer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain’t_That_a_Shame
Lyrics to “Ain’t That Shame” written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew
You made me cry, when you said goodbye
Ain’t that a shame
My tears fell like rain
Ain’t that a shame
You’re the one to blame
You broke my heart, when you said we’re apart
Ain’t that a shame
My tears fell like rain
Ain’t that a shame
You’re the one to blame
Oh well, goodbye although I cry
Ain’t that a shame
My tears fell like rain
Ain’t that a shame
You’re the one to blame
You made me cry when you said goodbye
Ain’t that a shame
My tears fell like rain
Ain’t that a shame
You’re the one to blame
Oh well, goodbye although I’ll cry
Ain’t that a shame
My tears fell like rain
Ain’t that a shame
You’re the one to blame
Website contains Fats’ recording of “Ain’t That a Shame”:
http://www.metrolyrics.com/aint-that-a-shame-lyrics-fats-domino.html