'The Most Beautiful Girl' by Charlie Rich

Recorded by Charlie Rich, the American country music singer and musician nicknamed The Silver Fox, “The Most Beautiful Girl” topped the U.S country singles charts, as well as the pop singles chart, and earned him two Grammy Awards. Written by Bill Sherrill, an American record producer and arranger, Norris Wilson, an American country music singer, songwriter and producer and Rory Michael Bourke a country music songwriter, the song reached number one in the United States in 1973 on three Billboard music charts – two weeks at number one in the pop chart, three weeks in the country chart and three weeks in the adult contemporary charts as well as number one in Canada on three RPM charts.

The song is a cover of a song called “Hey Mister” which was recorded by co-writer Norris Wilson in 1968 and also uses part of the song “Mama McCluskie”, also by Wilson. “The Most Beautiful Girl” has been covered by a number of artists – British Pop star Engelbert Humperdinck included it on his 1973 album ‘Engelbert: King of Hearts’; Slim Whitman recorded a version in the 70s; Andy Williams released a version in 1974 on his album ‘The Way We Were’ and in 1975 ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad recorded a Swedish-language version called “Vill du lana en man?”

The song also reached number two in both the UK and Irish Singles Chart in 1973 and was in the top ten in Holland, Denmark, Norway, France and Australia during that same year. The most recent version was released in 2001 by the Country Music boy band ‘South 65’ who recorded the song and entitled it ‘”The Most Beautiful Girl (2001 Version) on their 2001 album ‘Dream Large’.

It also makes a very brief airing by Brenda Fricker in the film’ So I Married an Axe Murderer” and in the TV sitcom ‘Seinfeld’.

Hey, did you happen to see the most beautiful girl in the world?
And if you did, was she crying, crying?
Hey, if you happen to see the most beautiful girl that walked out on me
Tell her, "I'm sorry." 
Tell her, "I need my baby." 
Oh.... Won't you tell her that I love her. 
I woke up this morning and realized what I had done 
I stood alone in the cold gray dawn I knew 
I'd lost my morning sun I lost my head and I said some things 
Now come the heartaches that morning brings I know 
I'm wrong and I couldn't see I let my world slip away from me 
So....... Hey, did you happen to see the most beautiful girl in the world? 
And if you did, was she crying, crying? 
Hey, if you happen to see the most beautiful girl that walked out on me 
Tell her, "I'm sorry." Tell her, "I need my baby." 
Oh.... Won't you tell her that I love her. ( break ) 
Hey, did you happen to see the most beautiful girl in the world? 
And if you did, was she crying, crying? 
Hey, if you happen to see the most beautiful girl that walked out on me 
Tell her, "I'm sorry." Tell her, "I need my baby." 
Oh.... Won't you tell her that I love her. 
If you happen to see the most beautiful girl that walked out on me 
Tell her, "I'm sorry." Tell her, "I need my baby." 
Oh.... Won't you tell her that I love her