This was written by Arthur Alexander, who recorded it in 1961. It reached number 24 in the US in March 1962. According to Wikipedia, the lyrics were inspired by Alexander’s real life situation, in which his girlfriend and future wife already had a boyfriend. Alexander said: ‘When I met her out of high school he was still hanging in there. His family was pretty well off. I didn’t have no money but I knew she liked me. It was a small town and people would be talking. That’s where I got the idea for the song. I didn’t talk to him personally. I said it in song.’
The same year it was recorded in 1962 by Bobby Vee, as far as I can tell on an album, not as a single.
It was Joe Cocker’s first recording in 1963, when he was still Vance Arnold & The Avengers. It is one of the best in my view.
In 1964 the Hollies had a go
and so did the Rolling Stones.
The less said about that one the better.
Not a bad effort the same year by Dave Berry:
In 1982 the Drifters, reunited with Ben E King, did a good version.
I have two favourites, the first by Randy Newman with the mighty Mark Knopfler in 1988
and the other, also with Knopfler, by Chuck Jackson on the 1994 tribute album Adios Amigos.