The writers did not receive the usual $25 or $50 advance, but the company did pay for a one-hour demo recording which took place with studio players including Frank Owens (piano) and Kenny Karen (vocals).
However, the song took off overseas through cover versions in the Caribbean Islands including #1 calypso singer Mighty Sparrow, and a Finnish translation by Juha Vainio as “Muisto vain jää", a top five hit performed by Jouko and Kosti.
The song has since become a true standard in Finland as “Muisto vain jää”, with recent versions by Harri Marstio, Kari Tapio, Pekka Tiilikainen and Beatmakers, The Heartbreakers, and inclusion in the soundtrack of the 2009 film Rööperi (aka Hellsinki).
It has also been translated into Dutch as "Zonder Gevoel" by Jan Rot, Swedish as "Bara ett fån gör så mot sig själv" by Moneybrother (Anders Wendin), and German as "Noch einen Tag und es ist aus".
It has been recorded in most styles including pop, blues, r&b, c&w, rock, and reggae, and can be found on internet lists from ‘Words of Inspiration’ to ‘The Most Depressing Songs of All Time’, and is even mentioned on a website devoted to vampires.