Song 184 - Love me tender by Elvis Presley

If anyone ever learnt to play a keyboard in the 1990s, they probably learnt how to play Love Me Tender in volume 2 of the music books that went with them. I remember learning and hearing my mum play Love Me Tender on the keyboard. I also remember the afternoon I spilt tea all over the keyboard,  that definitely wasn't a tender moment between mother and child! Anyway, let's get back to Elvis.

Love Me Tender replaced Hound Dog as a number one hit in 1956. Adapted from a Civil War song, Aura Lee, which dates back to 1861, Elvis is jointly credited with writing the song with Ken Darby, who wrote under the name of his wife Vera Matson.  However, this joint accreditation was more to do with the publishing deal that Elvis's record label had which entitled him to 50% credit for the song production if he recorded it.  However, I don't think this affected the relationship between Elvis and Darby, as the latter would talk about Elvis's brilliance and his ability to be able to take a song and make it his own. Darby, himself, was a magnificent musician and composer in his own right. Having read about him in relation to this song, he belongs in my jukebox in his own right. 

Elvis first performed Love Me Tender on the Ed Sullivan Show on September 9th 1956, shortly before the single was released and a month before the film was released.  The single debuted at number 2, the first time a song had debuted on a chart in this position and would take the top spot from Hound Dog, staying at the top for five weeks.   The song reached number 11 on the UK Chart. The succession of number ones meant the Elvis was top of the charts for 16 years, a record that stood until 2004. 

Like many of Elvis's timeless hits, the song has been recorded by many artists since Elvis's recording. For me, the song stood out in the film Backbeat, which is an adaptation of the Beatles'early years in Hamburg and tells the story of the untimely death of Stuart Sutcliffe. If I hear the song at the right moment, tears will glisten in my eyes as there is something authentic in Elvis's voice and you feel the love & passion in his voice.

For me, out of all Elvis's songs, this is the one I wanted to put in the jukebox on the anniversary of his death.  When his death was announced 40th year ago,  it shocked the world so much that 40 years of conspiracy theories and sighting of Elvis has kept the King alive in so many people's hearts. I didn't really understand why people were so disbelieving in death. But now, having lost people central to my universe, I can understand it better now. To have one more day....

To hear Love Me Tender 

Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley