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.
Lonesome Cowboy
Elvis Presley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm travelling all alone
I ain't even got a nickel
To call my baby on the phone
Just beyond the mountain lies a city
And I hear it calling me
Saddle up and ride you lonesome cowboy
In my dreams the lights shine bright and pretty
Near to me and yet so far
Will I always be a lonesome cowboy
Am I only reaching for a star
Ride. Ride, ride, ride along cowboy
Sing, sing, sing, sing a song cowboy
Will I ever leave this lonesome valley
Really see the lights that shine
Gotta find what lies beyond the mountain
Gotta rope and tie that dream of mine
I am just a lonesome cowboy
And I'm travelling all alone
If you don't call me baby
Then I'm never coming home.
The song "Lonesome Cowboy" by Elvis Presley is an emotional and melancholic song about a cowboy who is travelling alone and has no one to call his own. He is poor and cannot afford to call his loved one. The first two lines of the song highlight the cowboy's misery and loneliness as he meanders through unfamiliar territory. The third and fourth lines reveal that he is so impoverished that he cannot even afford to call his significant other.
Throughout the song, there are frequent mentions of the lights and the city beyond the mountain that beckon the cowboy to explore and find his destiny. He feels that his dreams are so close yet so far as he reaches out for a star that he might never grasp. In the chorus, there is an emphasis on the cowboy riding along and singing a song, projecting a notion of freedom and ease in the life he wishes to achieve. The song ends with the cowboy’s desolation and yearning desire to have a home as he states that he will never return if he is not contacted by his love.
In conclusion, Elvis Presley's "Lonesome Cowboy" is a poignant representation of the loneliness and challenges of a wandering cowboy. The lyrics underscore the agony he experiences as he journeys alone through unfamiliar landscapes, the longing for a successful and contented life, and the desperate yearning for a home and a loved one. The beautiful melancholic melody adds to the heartfelt emotions felt throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I am just a lonesome cowboy
I am a solitary cowhand.
And I'm travelling all alone
I am journeying by myself.
I ain't even got a nickel
I do not possess even a small amount of money.
To call my baby on the phone
I cannot telephone my lover.
Just beyond the mountain lies a city
A city is situated directly over the mountain range.
And I hear it calling me
I perceive the city beckoning to me.
Saddle up and ride you lonesome cowboy
Mount your horse and travel, solitary cowhand.
Here is where you'll find your destiny
Your fate lies within this location.
In my dreams the lights shine bright and pretty
Within my dreams, the lights are radiant and lovely.
Near to me and yet so far
The lights are close to me but still remote.
Will I always be a lonesome cowboy
Will I perpetually be a solitary cowhand.
Am I only reaching for a star
Am I simply pursuing an unrealistic goal.
Ride. Ride, ride, ride along cowboy
Travel, ride, gallop, solitary cowhand.
Sing, sing, sing, sing a song cowboy
Serenade, croon, humming a tune, solitary cowhand.
Will I ever leave this lonesome valley
Will I ever depart from this solitary location.
Really see the lights that shine
Genuinely observe the lights that are shining.
Gotta find what lies beyond the mountain
I must discover what is situated beyond the mountain range.
Gotta rope and tie that dream of mine
I must capture and achieve my aspiration.
If you don't call me baby
If you do not address me as darling.
Then I'm never coming home.
I will never return to this location.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROY C. BENNETT, SID TEPPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Xan Nis
I am just a lonesome cowboy
And I'm travelling all alone
I ain't even got a nickel
To call my baby on the phone
Just beyond the mountain lies a city
And I hear it calling me
Saddle up and ride you lonesome cowboy
Here is where you'll find your destiny
In my dreams the lights shine bright and pretty
Near to me and yet so far
Will I always be a lonesome cowboy
Am I only reaching for a star
Ride. Ride, ride, ride along cowboy
Sing, sing, sing, sing a song cowboy
Will I ever leave this lonesome valley
Really see the lights that shine
Gotta find what lies beyond the mountain
Gotta rope and tie that dream of mine
I am just a lonesome cowboy
And I'm travelling all alone
If you don't call me baby
Then I'm never coming home.
Fiona lover 2.0 gaming
I am just a lonesome cowboy
And I'm travelling all alone
I ain't even got a nickel
To call my baby on the phone
Just beyond the mountain lies a city
And I hear it calling me
Saddle up and ride you lonesome cowboy
Here is where you'll find your destiny
In my dreams the lights shine bright and pretty
Near to me and yet so far
Will I always be a lonesome cowboy
Am I only reaching for a star
Ride. Ride, ride, ride along cowboy
Sing, sing, sing, sing a song cowboy
Will I ever leave this lonesome valley
Really see the lights that shine
Gotta find what lies beyond the mountain
Gotta rope and tie that dream of mine
I am just a lonesome cowboy
And I'm travelling all alone
If you don't call me baby
Then I'm never coming home.
Pawidh Prarayod
I am just a lonesome cowboy
And I'm travelling all alone
I ain't even got a nickel
To call my baby on the phone
Just beyond the mountain lies a city
And I hear it calling me
Saddle up and ride you lonesome cowboy
Here is where you'll find your destiny
In my dreams the lights shine bright and pretty
Near to me and yet so far
Will I always be a lonesome cowboy
Am I only reaching for a star
Ride. Ride, ride, ride along cowboy
Sing, sing, sing, sing a song cowboy
Will I ever leave this lonesome valley
Really see the lights that shine
Gotta find what lies beyond the mountain
Gotta rope and tie that dream of mine
I am just a lonesome cowboy
And I'm travelling all alone
If you don't call me baby
Then I'm never coming home.
Patricia Smethatsit
Love his voice. I am glad we have his movies. He didn't like them, but I sure am happy we have them.
Corey-bird
In true style: He actually came on the radio after the penny portrait at Ripley’s Believe It or Not on my uploads.
Lumban Raja
What is the name of this movie ?
Patricia Smethatsit
@Lumban Raja Loving You.
Emily Michalski
Elvis only liked King Creole that was his favorite
Jean Tracy
Beautiful, his voice, his stage presence, everything! Wow I have not seen this forever.....timeless!
cut1986
The beginning of this footage is award winning. The awareness of the 22 yr. old artist is unprecedented!
the king
Elvis at his very best.....❤ great song.
PinkFloyd Meddle
I agree!
Joachim
Yeah, it's more like "go hunt for one where he's not a big ball of awesome". Even the terrible songs it sure ain't his fault that it's rubbish.