Happy Birthday Elvis!

 Today is Elvis's 75th birthday.  As a consequence I have heard a fair number of Elvis songs today on the radio.  Makes me think about all the fun at the Elvis Festival in Collingwood every summer on the 3rd weekend in July. In case you don't know about Collingwood's annual Elvis Festival go here to read my blog about it.

I heard this version of Are You Lonesome Tonight on CBC Radio 2's Drive Show and it had me in stitches laughing. If you listen to the video you will hear him sing "Do you gaze at your bald head and wish you had hair", instead of singing: "Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there". I have read that Elvis liked to switch words around in songs sometimes when he was in a silly mood. Apparently this time, he saw a bald man in the audience after making up the silly line and then burst into laughter which continues through most of the song. It is fun to watch.




Of course, I had to also include a proper version of the song as it is one of his nicest (imo). Well, along with Love Me Tender and a few dozen others. LOL.  The song itself was written in 1926 with music by Lou Handman and the very touching lyrics were written by Roy_Turk. Elvis first recorded it in 1960

Elvis Presley   - Are You Lonesome Tonight?

Are You Lonesome Tonight?
Do you miss me tonight?
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Does your memory stray
To a bright summer day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?
Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you gaze at your doorstep
And picture me there?
Is your heart filled with pain,
Shall I come back again?
Tell me, dear, Are You Lonesome Tonight?

I wonder if you're lonesome tonight
You know someone said that the world's a stage
And we each must play a part.
Fate had me playing in love with you as my sweet heart.
Act one was when we met, I loved you at first glance
You read your lines so cleverly and never missed a cue
Then came act 2, you seemed to change, you acted strange
And why Ive never known.
Honey, you lied when you said you loved me
And I had no cause to doubt you.
But I'd rather go on hearing your lies
Than to go on living without you.
Now the stage is bare and I'm standing there
With emptiness all around
And if you won't come back to me
Then they can bring the curtain down.


Is your heart filled with pain?
Shall I come back again?
Tell me, dear, Are You Lonesome Tonight?