Introduction and Short Summary of the Song
“Empty Boxes” is a reflective and understated song recorded by The Everly Brothers, released in 1967 on their album The Hit Sound of the Everly Brothers. While not one of their better-known hits, the song carries a quiet depth and emotional subtlety that highlights the duo’s sensitivity as interpreters of human experience. In contrast to their early rock-and-roll chart successes, “Empty Boxes” explores themes of emptiness, memory, and emotional loss, wrapped in a folk-pop arrangement that reflected the changing sounds of the mid-1960s.
Origins of the Song
By the mid-1960s, The Everly Brothers were facing a new musical landscape. The British Invasion, led by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, had transformed pop and rock, and the Everlys’ once-dominant presence on the charts had diminished. Despite this, they continued to produce thoughtful and musically rich albums that displayed their artistry and versatility.
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“Empty Boxes” came from this period of artistic searching. Written by Ron Elliott of The Beau Brummels, a songwriter associated with the San Francisco folk-rock scene, the song fit neatly into the era’s emphasis on introspection and lyrical sophistication. The Everlys’ decision to record it demonstrated their willingness to embrace contemporary songwriting trends while filtering them through their unique harmony style.
Why The Everly Brothers Released “Empty Boxes”
The Everly Brothers chose to include “Empty Boxes” in The Hit Sound of the Everly Brothers to reflect their alignment with the evolving folk-rock movement of the mid-1960s. Instead of relying solely on the youthful love themes of their earlier hits, they sought to present themselves as mature interpreters of songs that spoke to a broader emotional and cultural landscape.
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By recording “Empty Boxes,” the Everlys also strengthened their connection to younger, emerging songwriters. Just as they had earlier benefited from the work of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, they now turned to figures like Ron Elliott, who were shaping the contemporary folk-pop sound.
The Message Conveyed in the Song
“Empty Boxes” uses the metaphor of abandoned boxes to explore feelings of emptiness, regret, and the residue of lost relationships or faded dreams.
Key themes include:
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Emotional Emptiness: The “boxes” symbolize the remnants of past experiences or relationships that no longer hold meaning.
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Memory and Loss: The song reflects on what remains after love or fulfillment has faded.
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Loneliness: The lyrics suggest isolation and a search for connection in the face of emptiness.
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Resignation: Rather than rage or sorrow, the mood is reflective and subdued.
This metaphorical approach aligned with the growing sophistication of popular music in the 1960s, where songs often used imagery to explore deeper emotional states.
The Recording and Musical Characteristics
The Everly Brothers’ rendition of “Empty Boxes” combines their trademark harmonies with a folk-pop arrangement that mirrored the sound of the time.
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Vocals: Don and Phil’s harmonies carry the emotional weight, soft and plaintive, bringing poignancy to the song’s imagery.
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Instrumentation: Acoustic guitars, gentle percussion, and subtle bass create a light but steady folk-rock framework.
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Mood: Reflective, wistful, and restrained, with an undercurrent of melancholy.
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Style: A blend of folk-rock and pop, aligning with the work of contemporaries like The Byrds or Simon & Garfunkel.
The production avoids over-embellishment, allowing the harmonies and lyrics to remain at the center of the listening experience.
Cultural and Commercial Impact
Commercially, “Empty Boxes” was not released as a single and therefore did not make a significant impact on the charts. By 1967, The Everly Brothers were no longer chart-toppers, and much of their music from this period reached only devoted fans.
Culturally, however, the song reflects the duo’s effort to stay connected with the shifts in popular music. By interpreting a song written by a younger folk-rock songwriter, they placed themselves within the broader current of the 1960s’ introspective and poetic pop landscape. For listeners, “Empty Boxes” provided a glimpse of the Everlys’ quieter, more reflective side, showing that they could adapt to changing trends while preserving their distinct sound.
Legacy of “Empty Boxes”
Today, “Empty Boxes” is remembered as one of the Everly Brothers’ overlooked gems from their later catalog. While it never achieved the visibility of their iconic hits from the 1950s and early 1960s, it remains a testament to their versatility and willingness to engage with new musical currents.
For their legacy, the song underscores the Everly Brothers’ importance not only as pioneers of early rock-and-roll but also as adaptable artists who continued to experiment throughout their careers. Their interpretation of “Empty Boxes” reveals how their harmonies could bring emotional resonance to material that leaned more on subtle imagery than on direct storytelling.
More broadly, the song stands as an example of the cross-pollination between early rock icons and the 1960s folk-rock generation. By recording material from Ron Elliott, the Everlys demonstrated their continued relevance and their openness to the evolving lyrical and musical complexity of popular music.
Over five decades later, “Empty Boxes” remains a quiet but evocative part of The Everly Brothers’ discography. It reflects a period when they may have been away from the charts but were still deeply engaged in creating music of depth, sincerity, and lasting beauty.