The Story Behind The Song: “Don’t Touch Me” – Jeannie Seely

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As she was now dating Hank Cochran, one of Music City’s best-known tunesmiths, it seemed that with just one innovative idea, Jeannie might have her song. And so it was. Upon seeing her when he arrived in Rochester, the feelings which first inspired Cochran to start writing “Don’t Touch Me” in Minnesota came flooding back to his mind, and he felt an urgent need to finish it because of the song’s message. Hank was falling for Seely but he had some reservations about getting seriously involved. He was coming off a divorce and didn’t want to ever go through anything that painful again. In a sense, the very words Cochran had written explained this fear so eloquently that he might have been afraid to expose his heart to Jeannie and to the world.

While Wagoner, Seely and the rest of the group were on stage performing, Cochran completed “Don’t Touch Me,” but became inebriated in the process. After the show, Hank tried to explain his condition to Porter and Jeannie, while at the same time attempting to tell them about his new song. They wanted to hear it right then, but Hank was wasted and couldn’t sing or even play the guitar. The next day, though, Cochran did sing it for them and they both agreed that it would be a big hit for Jeannie. She immediately telephoned Fred Foster in Nashville, explaining that she had found the right song and asked him to set things up for a session once she got back to town.

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