Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American sin… Read Full Bio ↴Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was a pioneer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in January 1956 and became a number one hit in the United States. With a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, he became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, made him enormously popular—and controversial.

In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender. Drafted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He held few concerts however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood movies and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. In 1968, following a seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed television comeback special Elvis, which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley gave the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, Aloha from Hawaii. Years of prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate, just 42 years of age.

Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century. Commercially successful in many genres, including pop, country, blues, and gospel, he is the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. He won three competitive Grammys, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.

Are You Lonesome Tonight? / That's My Desire
Elvis Presley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Are you lonesome tonight,
Do you miss me tonight?
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny 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 each must play a part.

Fate had me playing in love you as my sweet heart.
Act one was when we met, I loved you at first glance
You read your line so cleverly and never missed a cue
Then came act two, you seemed to change and you acted strange

And why I`ll never know.
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 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 make them bring the curtain down.

Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?

Overall Meaning

Elvis Presley's "Are You Lonesome Tonight" is a song about a man who is wondering if his former lover is experiencing the same feelings of loneliness and heartbreak that he is. Through the lyrics, he asks her questions about whether or not she misses him, whether she is sorry that they are no longer together, and whether she thinks about their past together. He also reflects on the stages of their relationship, from the initial rush of love to the heartbreak of separation, and wonders why things ended the way they did.

The beauty of "Are You Lonesome Tonight" lies in its simplicity and the raw emotion conveyed through the lyrics, with Presley's mournful voice adding to the song's melancholic quality. Many have interpreted the song as a commentary on the fleeting nature of relationships and the pain that can come with letting go of someone you love. It is a timeless classic that continues to resonate with audiences even today.

Line by Line Meaning

Are you lonesome tonight,
Do you feel lonely tonight?

Do you miss me tonight?
Are you thinking about me tonight?

Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Do you regret us growing apart?

Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day
Do you remember the happy times we had together?

When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?
Do you remember the time when I kissed you and called you sweetheart?

Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you feel lonely when you look at the empty chairs in your living room?

Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?
Do you imagine me being at your doorstep when you look at it?

Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Does your heart ache, should I come back to you?

Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?
Please tell me, my dear, are you feeling lonely tonight?

I wonder if you`re lonesome tonight
I am thinking if you`re feeling lonely tonight

You know someone said that the world`s a stage
As someone said, life is like a stage,

And each must play a part.
And we all have roles to play.

Fate had me playing in love you as my sweet heart.
But it was fate that made me fall in love with you.

Act one was when we met, I loved you at first glance
The first act of our love story was when we met and I fell in love with you immediately.

You read your line so cleverly and never missed a cue
You played your part so perfectly, you never missed a cue.

Then came act two, you seemed to change and you acted strange
But in the second act, you seemed different and acted strangely.

And why I`ll never know.
And I'll never know why.

Honey, you lied when you said you loved me
Darling, you lied when you said you loved me.

And I had no cause to doubt you.
And I had no reason not to believe you.

But I`d rather go on hearing your lies
But I would rather keep hearing your lies.

Than go on living without you.
Than carry on living without you.

Now the stage is bare and I`m standing there
Now the stage is empty and I'm alone.

With emptiness all around
Feeling the void of your absence everywhere.

And if you won`t come back to me
And if you won't come back to me,

Then make them bring the curtain down.
Then let them close the curtain on this tragedy.

Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Are you in pain? Should I come back to you?

Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?
Please tell me, my dear, are you feeling lonely tonight?

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Peermusic Publishing, IMAGEM MUSIC INC, T.R.O. INC.
Written by: LOU HANDMAN, ROY TURK

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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