About The Song
One of the most melancholic songs ever composed is “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” where Elvis inquires of his former lover if she’s feeling alone and despondent, reminiscing about the joyful moments they once shared and awaiting his return. We are never privy to her perspective, but we can conjecture that he is the one left feeling cold and forsaken.
This song, penned in 1926 by the Tin Pan Alley songwriters Roy Turk and Lou Handman, enjoyed popularity in 1927, performed by various artists, including Vaughan Deleath (despite her name, a female artist), Henry Burr, and Gene Austin. In 1950, it was resurrected by Al Jolson and later by bandleader Blue Barron with his vocalist Bobby Beers. Jaye P. Morgan, another female singer, had a modest success with the song in 1959, reaching the 65th position on the charts. It is likely that Elvis was most acquainted with her rendition.
Elvis decided to record it when his manager, Colonel Parker, suggested the song because it was a favorite of Parker’s wife, Marie. The recording became a massive hit, topping the Hot 100 chart for six consecutive weeks between November 1960 and January 1961. Unfortunately, Turk and Handman had passed away by the time Elvis recorded the song, missing out on substantial royalties.
The majority of Elvis’ version consists of a spoken section in which he narrates the relationship as if it were a theatrical production, with the couple falling in love during Act 1, and in Act 2, something goes awry, causing her love for him to wane. He is left standing alone on the empty stage, pondering when the curtain will fall.
The spoken section is not included in every rendition of the song, but both Blue Barron and Al Jolson incorporated variations of it into their performances.
Elvis recorded this song at the conclusion of an all-night recording session at RCA Studio B in Nashville that commenced on April 3, 1960. He had recorded eight songs before taking on “Are You Lonesome Tonight” in the early hours of April 4.
Although Elvis was known as a boundary-pushing rock artist, during this period, he ventured into older classics. His previous single, also a major success, was “It’s Now Or Never,” which borrowed the melody from the Italian song “O Sole Mio.”
Elvis embraced this change in musical direction as an opportunity to diversify his repertoire and adapt to different styles. This shift proved successful for him, as he gained numerous new fans while retaining most of his existing ones.
During a performance in Las Vegas on August 26, 1969, Elvis injected some humor into the song by altering the line:
“Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?”
To:
“Do you gaze at your bald head and wish you had hair?”
Subsequently, he succumbed to fits of laughter and mirth throughout the remainder of the song. This rendition, known as the “Laughing Version,” was informally recorded and released years after Elvis’ passing. Notably, the female backing vocalist who continues singing as Elvis struggles to regain his composure is Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston.
During the initial recording, producer Bill Porter inadvertently saturated the first take with echo but chose not to mention it, assuming there would be additional attempts. However, they ultimately only re-recorded the concluding part due to a guitar mistake, and what the audience hears is essentially take one.
Had Elvis delayed his recording session just a little longer, the song might have become a hit for Connie Francis. Francis shared with DISCoveries Magazine: “One day in 1960, I was going through my collection of Al Jolson and Judy Garland records, and I played Al’s ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight.’ I said, ‘Daddy, come listen to this. I could make it a No.1 song.’ He agreed, and I brought in Don Costa to arrange it. I said, ‘I’m more excited about recording this song than anything I’ve ever cut.’ We were in the car on our way to New York when the radio played Elvis’ ‘new single,’ ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight.’ Can you believe that? I was literally on my way to the studio to record it. How do you like that? Elvis even did the recitation part just like Al Jolson did.”
When this song took off, it prompted at least five response songs by female vocalists to flood the market. Dodie Stevens, Linda Lee, Ricky Page, and Thelma Carpenter all released versions titled “Yes, I’m Lonesome Tonight,” retaining the original lyrics but shifting the perspective. Jeanne Black, on the other hand, released a completely distinct response song titled “Oh, How I Miss You Tonight.” Carpenter’s version reached #55 on the charts, while Stevens’ reached #60.
This led to Grammy nominations for Best Performance By A Pop Single Artist and Best Vocal Performance Single Record Or Track, Male. However, it ultimately lost in both categories to “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles.
Video
Lyrics Song
Are you lonesome tonight
Do you miss me tonight?
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Does your memory stray to a bright summer 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 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 lines so cleverly and never missed a cue
Then came act two, you seemed to change, you acted strange
And why I’ve never known
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 downIs your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?