Song Information

Title: It’s Only Make Believe
Artist: Conway Twitty
Co-writer(s): Conway Twitty & Jack Nance
Release Date: July 14, 1958
Genre: Rockabilly / Country
Label: MGM Records
Chart Performance:

  • Reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1958

  • Also hit No. 1 in the UK, Canada, and 20 other countries
    Notable Covers: Glen Campbell (1970), Ronnie McDowell, Billy Fury

Originally released as the B-side to “I’ll Try”, “It’s Only Make Believe” became Conway Twitty’s first and biggest crossover hit. Co-written with drummer Jack Nance while they were on tour, the song launched Twitty’s transition from rockabilly star to country music legend.


Song Conten

“It’s Only Make Believe” is a haunting ballad of unrequited love. In the song, the narrator is hopelessly in love with a woman who doesn’t feel the same way. To the outside world, they appear to be a couple — they laugh, talk, and share moments together — but it’s all an illusion. In truth, she doesn’t return his love, and he’s painfully aware that the bond is one-sided.

The lyrics are raw and emotionally charged. Twitty’s aching vocals express a deep yearning, with lines like “My only prayer will be / Someday you’ll care for me / But it’s only make believe.” It’s a confession of emotional vulnerability and denial, as the protagonist clings to hope in a relationship that exists only in his imagination.

The powerful delivery, paired with a dramatic orchestral arrangement, gives the song a theatrical quality that resonated with both pop and country audiences. It became a timeless anthem for anyone who’s ever loved someone who couldn’t — or wouldn’t — love them back.


What Does the Song Really Say?

At first glance, “It’s Only Make Believe” seems like a simple love song. But at its core, it reveals a deeper emotional struggle — the human tendency to hold on to false hope rather than face heartbreak. The narrator lives in a fantasy, trying to convince the world (and maybe himself) that everything is fine. But behind closed doors, he suffers in silence, knowing the relationship is built on pretense.

This duality — the contrast between public perception and private pain — is what makes the song so powerful. It speaks to the inner lives of people who smile through sadness, who wear a mask of happiness while their hearts quietly break.

Twitty’s performance is especially compelling because he doesn’t overdramatize the emotions. Instead, he delivers the truth with restrained sorrow — the kind of quiet devastation that feels even more real.

The line “It’s only make believe” becomes a refrain not just about romantic disappointment, but about the illusions we create to survive emotional loss. It’s a timeless message: sometimes, pretending is easier than letting go.


Watch the Song Video

▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XbM7G-zJDY


Lyrics

People see us everywhereThey think you really careBut myself I can’t deceiveI know it’s only make-believe
My one and only prayerIs that some day you’ll careMy hopes, my dreams come trueMy one and only you
No one will ever knowHow much I love you soMy only prayer will beSome day you’ll care for meBut it’s only make-believe
My hopes, my dreams come trueMy life, I’d give for youMy heart, a wedding ringMy all, my everything
My heart, I can’t controlYou rule my very soulMy only prayer will beSome day you’ll care for meBut it’s only make-believe
My one and only prayerIs that some day you’ll careMy hopes, my dreams come trueMy one and only you
No one will ever knowHow much I love you soMy prayers, my hopes, and my schemesYou are my every dreamBut it’s only make-believe (make-believe)