About The Song
“Claudette” is a country-rock cover recorded by American singer Dwight Yoakam and released as the lead single from his covers album Under the Covers. Written by Roy Orbison, the song appears as the opening track on the album, which was issued by Reprise Records on July 15, 1997. Yoakam’s studio version runs just under three minutes and was promoted to country radio later that year. On the charts, his recording of “Claudette” reached No. 47 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in the United States and No. 44 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart, giving the project a modest but measurable single.
Under the Covers is Yoakam’s seventh studio album and his first full-length project devoted entirely to covers. Produced by long-time collaborator Pete Anderson, it mixes classic country, rock, pop and British Invasion material, including songs associated with The Clash, The Kinks, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The album peaked at No. 8 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 92 on the Billboard 200, reflecting solid interest despite its more eclectic song selection. Within this context, “Claudette” was chosen as the most radio-friendly track and the only song from the album promoted as a country single.
The composition itself dates back to the 1950s. “Claudette” was written by Roy Orbison early in his career and named after his first wife, Claudette. The first major hit version came from the Everly Brothers, who recorded it in Nashville in March 1958. It was originally issued as the B-side to their single “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” but “Claudette” developed its own momentum, reaching the U.S. charts and helping send the record to No. 1 in the United Kingdom, where both song titles were listed together at the top of the singles chart. Orbison later cut his own studio versions for his 1960s and 1980s albums.
Yoakam’s rendition places the Orbison song within his Bakersfield-influenced sound. The arrangement emphasizes twangy electric guitars, a driving rhythm section and a concise, up-tempo groove that fits the rest of Under the Covers. While the structure and melody of Orbison’s composition remain intact, the production gives the track a lean, contemporary country feel. Anderson’s guitar work and the tight band performance keep the sound close to Yoakam’s honky-tonk roots, even as the album overall experiments with material far outside conventional country repertory.
Lyrically, “Claudette” is a straightforward rock-and-roll love song. The narrator celebrates a woman named Claudette, praising her looks, charm and presence in short, punchy lines typical of late-1950s rockabilly writing. The text does not include the darker themes found in many of Yoakam’s own originals; instead, it offers an affectionate, almost playful portrait built around a repeating hook. This simplicity makes the song adaptable across genres, allowing Yoakam to deliver it convincingly in a country framework while staying faithful to its original spirit.
As a single, Yoakam’s “Claudette” did not approach the Top 10 success of his early-1990s hits, but it helped establish Under the Covers as more than just a catalog experiment. The chart performance in the U.S. and Canada confirmed that radio programmers were willing to give airtime to a 1950s rock-and-roll song reinterpreted by a contemporary country act. In later assessments of Yoakam’s career, the track is often cited as a good example of how he connects classic rockabilly and roots material with modern country production, and as one of the cuts on Under the Covers that fits his voice and style particularly well.
Video
Lyric
I got a brand new baby and I feel so good
She loves me even better
Than I thought she could
I’m on my way to her house
And I’m plumb out of breath
When I see her tonight
I’m gonna squeeze her to death
Claudette, pretty little thing Claudette
Never makes me fret, Claudette
Well she’s the greatest little girl
That I’ve ever met
I get the best lovin’
That I’ll ever get from
Claudette, pretty little pet
Claudette
Oh oh Claudette
Well I’m a lucky man
My baby treats me right
She’s gonna let me hug and kiss
And hold her tight
When the date is over
And we’re at her front door
I’m gonna kiss her goodnight
I holler more, more, more
Claudette, pretty little thing Claudette
Never makes me fret, Claudette
Well she’s the greatest little girl
That I’ve ever met
I get the best lovin’
That I’ll ever get from
Claudette, pretty little pet
Claudette
Oh oh Claudette
When me and my new baby
Have a date or three
I’m gonna ask my baby
If she’ll marry me
I’m gonna be so happy
For the rest of my life
When my brand new baby
Is my brand new wife
Claudette, pretty little thing Claudette
Never makes me fret, Claudette
Well she’s the greatest little girl
That I’ve ever met
I get the best lovin’
That I’ll ever get from
Claudette, pretty little pet
Claudette
Oh oh Claudette
Hey hey Claudette