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 lonsome
Elvis Presley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryin' to make a livin' watchin' everybody else having fun
Well, I don't miss much that ever happens on a dance hall floor
Mercy, look what just walked through that door
Well, hello T R 0 U B L E
What in the world you're doin' A L O N E
Say, good L double O K I N G
I was a little bitty baby when my papa hit the skids
Mama had a time tryin' to raise nine kids
Told me not to stare 'cause it was impolite
And did the best she could to try to raise me right
But mama never told me 'bout nothing like Y O U
Say, your mama must have been another something or another too
Good L double O K I N G
I smell T R 0 U B L E
Well, you talk about a woman I've seen a lot of others
But too much something' and not enough another
You've got it all together like a lovin' machine
Lookin' like glory and walkin' like a dream
Mother Nature's sure been good to Y O U
Well, your mama must have been another good lookin' other too
Hey, say hey good L double O K I N G
I smell T R 0 U B L E
Well, you talk about a trouble-makin' hunka pokey bait,
The men are gonna love and all the women gonna hate
Reminding them of everything they never gonna be
Maybe the beginning of the World War III
Oh, the world ain't ready for nothin' like a Y O U
Well, I bet your mama must have been a good looking other too
Say hey good L double O K I N G
I smell T R 0 U B L E
The song "Are You Lonesome Tonight" by Elvis Presley is an emotional and touching ballad. The song touches on the loneliness and heartache of the singer's life as he plays music in a club while watching others have fun. He describes how he does not miss anything that happens on the dance floor, which indicates how he is not involved in any of the happiness. Then he sees a beautiful young woman, and he instantly recognizes her as trouble. She brings with her the excitement and danger he has been missing out on his whole life and that it feels too good to pass up.
The song also reveals the singer's past where he describes growing up with a father who abandoned him and a mother who struggled to raise him and his eight siblings. He expected that the woman would be not like the other women he has seen, but she has everything he has seen before. He gives the analogy of the world war III might begin when all men love this beautiful woman, but the women will hate her for the same reason.
Overall, the song is about wanting something different and more exciting in life, even though it may come with danger or challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
I play an old piano from nine till a half past one
I work late into the night, trying to make a living while others enjoy their time in the dance hall
Tryin' to make a livin' watchin' everybody else having fun
I'm struggling to make ends meet while I watch others enjoy themselves
Well, I don't miss much that ever happens on a dance hall floor
I observe everything that goes down in the dance hall
Mercy, look what just walked through that door
Oh my goodness, look at who just walked in!
Well, hello T R 0 U B L E
Oh, hello trouble
What in the world you're doin' A L O N E
Why are you alone?
Say, good L double O K I N G
You're quite good looking
I smell T R 0 U B L E
I sense trouble
I was a little bitty baby when my papa hit the skids
Things started going wrong in my life when I was a mere baby
Mama had a time tryin' to raise nine kids
My mother struggled to raise nine children
Told me not to stare 'cause it was impolite
My mother taught me that staring is rude
And did the best she could to try to raise me right
She tried her best to teach me good values
But mama never told me 'bout nothing like Y O U
My mother never warned me about someone like you
Say, your mama must have been another something or another too
I can tell by your looks that your mother must have been something special too
Well, you talk about a woman I've seen a lot of others
I've seen plenty of women, but you stand out from the rest
But too much something' and not enough another
You seem to have a lot of one quality, but not enough of another
You've got it all together like a lovin' machine
You're a perfect package of love and beauty
Lookin' like glory and walkin' like a dream
You look glorious and move gracefully
Mother Nature's sure been good to Y O U
You're blessed with good looks by nature
Well, your mama must have been another good lookin' other too
Your mother must have also been a stunning woman
Hey, say hey good L double O K I N G
I have to say, you're really good looking
Well, you talk about a trouble-makin' hunka pokey bait,
You seem like a trouble magnet, attracting both men and women
The men are gonna love and all the women gonna hate
Men will be drawn to you, while women will envy you
Reminding them of everything they never gonna be
You are a reminder of all the things they can never acquire
Maybe the beginning of the World War III
Your presence can create chaos and trouble
Oh, the world ain't ready for nothin' like a Y O U
The world is not prepared to handle someone like you
Well, I bet your mama must have been a good looking other too
I'm sure your mother was also a beautiful woman
Say hey good L double O K I N G
Let me just say again, you're remarkably good looking
I smell T R 0 U B L E
I still sense trouble
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jerry Chesnut
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@baddiemauve4958
[Verse 1]
Are you lonesome tonight?
Do you miss me tonight?
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Does your memory stray
To a bright sunny day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?
[Verse 2]
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?
Spoken:
I wonder if you're lonesome tonight
You know someone said that the world's a stage
And each of us must play a part
Fate had me playing in love with you as my sweetheart
Act one was where 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 changed, you acted strange
And why I've 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 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
[Outro]
Is your heart filled with pain
Shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?
@2newgrandpa
My wife and I got to see Elvis in his last concert in Chicago I was 21 she was 18 Now I'm 73 and she's 70
@juanresto6756
Bless the both you. What a memory!
@brickhead_07
Everybody gets old. Except Elvis with his music.
@veritaslibertas4976
It's amazing how soft his voice can get, just above a whisper, and still keep that perfect vibrato. He makes it seem effortless, and with a voice like that, I'm sure it is. No one can ever match it. Timeless. Perfection.
@RR448
That's the reason I love this song..it's definitely a whisper
@rossellapareschi1999
If angels sings for real, this should be how their voice sound....love you Elvis
@reginaldweeks3738
No doubt!!!!
@alinrajmoses9318
Yesudas, an Indian singer.. Another Legend.. sings every lows and highs with perfection and same tone maintained..less popular in another countries
@Khadz19
You are on point. He, Elvis, is one in a billion. He is the only singer that can maintain the soft and high tones effortlessly on live shows. He was a brilliant artist.
@AliannaNicole01
my daughter has been falling asleep to this song since she was 5 months old . she’s now 16 months old and it still does the trick. this song will always have a place in my heart ❤️