“Have You Never Been Mellow” by Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John’s “Have You Never Been Mellow” finds her addressing someone who is stressed out. Possessing  such a disposition is his normal state, as Olivia even wonders if there was ever a time when he was not so uptight. But she is completely sympathetic to his cause. In fact witnessing him as such reminds her a time when she was the same. 

And all of these things considered, this track is based on her making a request for him to relax. And once again due to personal knowledge in dealing with these sort of situations, she realizes that he needs a supportive friend to help him overcome this mentality. So she is basically presenting herself as such an individual. And obviously, the first step in his therapy is something along the lines of making him realize that he isn’t actually “mellow”.

Facts about “Have You Never Been Mellow”

• “Have You Never Been Mellow” scored a number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and likewise on Canadian Top Singles.

• This song was actually Olivia Newton-John’s second straight to top the Hot 100, after “I Honestly Love You” also did so the previous year.

• “Have You Never Been Mellow” also surprisingly peaked on number 3 on Billboard’s Country music chart.

• And in Olivia Newton-John’s home country of the Australia, the song peaked at number 10. And it reached number 12 in nearby New Zealand.

• This song was also nominated for a Grammy Award in 1975 in the category of Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.

• This track has also been certified Gold in the United States. And back in the old days this meant it sold at least one-million copies.

• “Have You Never Been Mellow” was released on 21 January 1975 as the lead single from Lovely Livvy’s album of the same name, which was issued by MCA Records. And FYI, Olivia is also known by the nickname Lovely Livvy.

Did Olivia Newton-John write “Have You Never Been Mellow”?

No. This classic was solely composed and produced by another Australian, John Farrar.