"Nobody's Child" is a song written by Cy Coben and Mel Foree. It was first recorded by Hank Snow in 1949 and it became one of his standards, although it did not chart for him. The song has been covered a number of times in the UK; it was on Lonnie Donegan's first album in 1956 (which went to #2 as an album in the UK), it was covered by Tony Sheridan and The Beatles in 1961 in Hamburg, and in 1969 Karen Young took the song to #6 on the UK charts and used it as the title track on her album. In 1969 Hank Williams Jr. did a version of it that made it to #46 on the US Country charts. The Traveling Wilburys' 1990 version made it to #44 on the UK charts.
The song lyrics are about an orphan whom no one wants to adopt because he is blind:
I'm nobody's child, I'm nobody's child
Just like a flower I'm growing wild
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smile
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child
Traveling Wilburys release
The Traveling Wilburys version of "Nobody's Child" was the first track on the benefit album Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal, released on 24 July 1990. Wilbury member George Harrison had also appeared on the 1961 Beatles/Tony Sheridan version. Other members of the Traveling Wilburys on this track were Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty.
Lyrics:
I'm nobody's child I'm nobody's child I'm like a flower just growing wild
There's no mommy's kisses and no daddy's smiles
Nobody wants me I'm nobody's child
As I was slowly passin' an orphan's home one day
I stopped there for a moment just to watch the children play
Alone a boy was standin' and when I asked him why
He turned with eyes that couldn't see and he began to cry
I'm nobody's child.... Some people come for children and take them for their own
But they all seem to pass me by and leave me all alone
I know they'd like to take me but when they see I'm blind
They always take some other child and I'm left behind
I'm nobody's child...
No mother's arms to hold me or soothe me when I cry
Sometimes it gets so lonely here I wish I could die
I'll walk the streets of heaven where all the blinds can see
And just like for the other kids there'd be a home for me
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smiles nobody wants me I'm nobody's child