Introduction
One of the more melancholic songs ever penned, “Are You Lonesome Tonight” has Elvis questioning his ex’s solitude and sorrow, reminiscing about the joyful moments they shared and anticipating his return. Although her perspective remains unheard, it’s apparent that he’s the one left desolate and forsaken.
Originally composed in 1926 by Tin Pan Alley songwriters Roy Turk and Lou Handman, the song gained popularity in 1927 with renditions by various artists, including Vaughan Deleath, Henry Burr, and Gene Austin. Al Jolson revived it in 1950, and in 1959, Jaye P. Morgan had a modest hit with her version, reaching #65, likely the rendition Elvis was familiar with.
Elvis, at the request of his manager Colonel Parker, recorded the song, a favorite of Parker’s wife, Marie. It became a massive success, topping the Hot 100 for six weeks between November 1960 and January 1961. Unfortunately, Turk and Handman, the original songwriters, had passed away by the time Elvis recorded it.
Elvis’s rendition predominantly features a spoken section, framing the relationship as a play with love blossoming in Act 1 and withering in Act 2, leaving him alone on the vacant stage, pondering when the final curtain will fall.
Recorded in April 1960 during an all-night session at RCA Studio B in Nashville, “Are You Lonesome Tonight” marked a departure for Elvis, known for his rebellious rock persona. Embracing oldies like “It’s Now Or Never,” his previous hit, he successfully expanded his musical horizons, attracting new fans while retaining the old ones.
During a performance in Las Vegas in 1969, Elvis playfully altered the lyrics, turning a serious line into a humorous one. The resulting “Laughing Version,” featuring Cissy Houston, became a posthumous release. Notably, the initial take, accidentally drowned in echo by producer Bill Porter, became the final version due to a guitar mistake during subsequent recordings.
If Elvis had delayed recording slightly, “Are You Lonesome Tonight” could have been a hit for Connie Francis. However, Elvis beat her to it, adopting a recitation style similar to Al Jolson’s.
The song’s popularity spawned five answer songs by female singers, maintaining the lyrics but changing the perspective. Dodie Stevens, Linda Lee, Ricky Page, and Thelma Carpenter released versions titled “Yes, I’m Lonesome Tonight,” while Jeanne Black offered a distinct answer with “Oh, How I Miss You Tonight.” Despite Grammy nominations, Elvis’s rendition lost to Ray Charles’s “Georgia On My Mind” in two categories.
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Lyrics
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?