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.
Wooden Heart
Elvis Presley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I love you
Please don't break my heart in two
That's not hard to do
'Cause I don't have a wooden heart
And if you say goodbye
Then I know that I would cry
Maybe I would die
There's no strings upon
This love of mine
It was always you from the start
Treat me nice, treat me good
Treat me like you really should
'Cause I'm not made of wood
And I don't have a wooden heart
Muss I denn, muss I denn
Zum stadtele hinaus
Stadtele hinaus
Und du, mein Schatz, bleibst hier?
Muss I denn, muss I denn
Zum stadtele hinaus
Stadtele hinaus
Und du, mein Schatz, bleibst hier?
There's no strings upon this love of mine
It was always you from the start
Sei mir gut, sei mir gut
Sei mir wie du wirklich sollst
Wie du wirklich sollst
'Cause I don't have a wooden heart
The lyrics of Wooden Heart by Elvis Presley express deep feelings of love and vulnerability. The lyrics convey the fear of heartbreak, asking the lover not to break their heart because they don't have a "wooden heart," which is to say they cannot easily suppress their emotions. The singer is expressing their deep and genuine love for their partner and pleading with them to treat them with the care, love, and respect that they deserve. The lines "There's no strings upon this love of mine, It was always you from the start" further emphasize the genuine and pure nature of the love the singer feels for their partner. As the song progresses, the singer switches from expressing their feelings to performing a German folk song, which relays the concern of leaving one's love behind. However, the singer ultimately comes back to emphasizing the importance of treating them with kindness and respect because they are not made of wood and cannot suppress their emotions.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was featured in Elvis Presley's 1960 film "G.I. Blues" and was originally a German song titled "Muss I Denn" sung by German folk singers. Elvis Presley's version became an international hit, reaching the top of the charts in multiple countries, including the UK and Germany. The song was even awarded a gold disc in the UK in July 1960. Additionally, the song was one of the first sung by Elvis in a foreign language (German), which added to its uniqueness and popularity.
Another interesting fact about the song is that it was later covered by Joe Dowell in 1961, and his version also became a hit, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. This version featured additional English lyrics that were not present in Presley's version. Other notable cover versions include those by Tom Petty, Shakin' Stevens, and even the Muppets.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't you see
Do you not understand
I love you
I have affection for you
Please don't break my heart in two
I request that you do not emotionally hurt me
That's not hard to do
Avoiding the above request should be relatively easy
'Cause I don't have a wooden heart
I am susceptible to emotional pain
And if you say goodbye
Should you choose to depart
Then I know that I would cry
I will become very emotional
Maybe I would die
It is possible that I would perish
'Cause I don't have a wooden heart
Again, my emotions can get the best of me
There's no strings upon
I am not held back by restrictions on
This love of mine
My affections for you are pure
It was always you from the start
I have felt this way for a long time
Treat me nice, treat me good
Please have kind and respectful behavior towards me
Treat me like you really should
Interact with me in a way that is appropriate
'Cause I'm not made of wood
Another reminder that I have feelings
Muss I denn, muss I denn
Must I then, must I then
Zum stadtele hinaus
Go out of town
Stadtele hinaus
Out of town
Und du, mein Schatz, bleibst hier?
And you, my darling, stay here?
There's no strings upon this love of mine
Again, I am not restricted in my love for you
Sei mir gut, sei mir gut
Be good to me, be good to me
Sei mir wie du wirklich sollst
Treat me in the way that you truly should
Wie du wirklich sollst
In the manner that is appropriate
'Cause I don't have a wooden heart
Lastly, yet again, I am very much human with emotions
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Berthold Kaempfert, Kay Twomey, Ben Weisman, Fred Wise
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sauquoit13456
On this day in 1961 {March 23rd} "Wooden Heart" by Elvis Presley peaked at #1 {for 6 weeks} on United Kingdom's Official Top 100 Singles* chart...
"Wooden Heart" was Elvis' twenty first #1 record on the UK Singles chart, the song was based on a German folk song and was featured in the Elvis movie 'G.I. Blues'...
Six months later Joe Dowell's covered version of "Wooden Heart" peaked at #1 {for 1 week} on U.S. Billboard's Top 100 chart in late August...
"Blue Moon" by the Marcels bumped Elvis' "Wooden Heart" out of the #1 spot in the UK...
May both Elvis {1935 - 1977} and Joe Dowell {1940 – 2016} R.I.P.
* And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the UK Singles' Top 10 on March 23rd, 1961:
At #2. "Walk Right Back"/"Ebony Eyes" by the Everly Brothers
#3. "Are You Sure" by the Allisons
#4. "Theme For A Dream" by Cliff Richard
#5. "My Kind of Girl" by Matt Monroe
#6. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" by the Shirelles
#7. "F.B.I." by the Shadows
#8. "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky" by the Ramrods
#9. "Theme from 'Exodus'" by Ferrante and Teicher
#10. "Sailor" by Petula Clark
@Gabriel-gv1mx
Elvis possesses a peerless, angelic voice. Also, his German is clear and clean as a bell. Utterly sublime.
@stephenconway985
Happy 88th birthday Elvis! His music will live in our hearts forever.
@lindakristinekjlibraten777
My uncle who passed in January was an Elvis fan. I bet Elvis sings for him now... Elvis will live through his music forever.
@donnanash9939
My mother was German, my father was an American Soldier for over 22 years!! I so remember my mother loved this song and Elvis!!
@xyzxyz2944
🙂🇩🇪🤝🇺🇸
@ramirocayrasoto2230
Does Elvis sing in german fluently ?
@sec1720
We share the same story lol
@markus4192
@@ramirocayrasoto2230 Yes he does.
@camilloforever3497
Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland❤️
@veronikawood7296
Absolutely beautiful a blast from the past,being German I absolutely love this song and Elvis sang it beautifully.