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.

For Lovin' Me
Elvis Presley Lyrics

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That's what you get for loving me
That's what you get for loving me
Everything we had is gone, you can see
That's what you get for loving me

Now don't you shed a tear for me
I ain't the love you thought I'd be
I've had a hundred just like you

But don't be blue I'll have a thousand before I'm through

That's what you get for loving me
That's what you get for loving me
Everything we had is gone, you can see
That's what you get for loving me

Now there you go, you're cryin' again
You should have known how things would end
But then some day when your poor heart is on the mend
I just might pass this way again

That's what you get for loving me
That's what you get for loving me

Everything we had is gone, you can see
That's what you get for loving me

Overall Meaning

At its core, For Lovin' Me is an unapologetic and cynical breakup song. Elvis Presley sings of the aftermath of a failed relationship, one where the woman has lost everything she had in it. The refrain of the song, "That's what you get for loving me," is a stark and honest admission of the singer's faults and the way in which he has hurt the woman he was with. He even seems to revel in it, singing: "I've had a hundred just like you / But don't be blue I'll have a thousand before I'm through."

This is a song that speaks to emotional manipulation, with the singer both acknowledging and exploiting the woman's emotions. He tells her not to cry for him because he was never the love she thought he would be, but also acknowledges that he may come back into her life when "your poor heart is on the mend." It's a deeply unsettling song that speaks to the uglier sides of relationships, but it's also a reminder that love can be an unpredictable and messy thing.

Line by Line Meaning

That's what you get for loving me
I warned you that I'm not a good person to love, but you chose to love me anyway. You're now experiencing the consequences of your actions.

Everything we had is gone, you can see
Our relationship is over, and it's clear that we can never go back to the way things were.

Now don't you shed a tear for me
You shouldn't feel sorry for me since I told you upfront that I'm not the kind of person who can be loved.

I ain't the love you thought I'd be
I'm not the type of person you had in your head as the love of your life.

I've had a hundred just like you
You're not the first person to fall for me, and you won't be the last.

But don't be blue I'll have a thousand before I'm through
I'm going to continue living my life and taking advantage of people who fall for me. You're just one of many.

For Lovin' MeElvis Presley Lyrics

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For Lovin' Me
Elvis Presley Lyrics