1 of Elvis Presley’s No. 1 Songs Quotes William Shakespeare
One of Elvis Presley‘s songs features a spoken word section. The tune is partly based on a famous quotation from William Shakespeare. Colonel Tom Parker had Elvis record the song for a very special reason — and Elvis went the extra mile to make sure the song sounded just right.
Elvis Presley’s song is based on ‘As You Like It’ by William Shakespeare
“Are You Lonesome Tonight?” is a highly atypical Elvis song, mostly because it features a long spoken word section. The spoken word bit begins “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.”
According to the book Elvis Presley: Caught in a Trap, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” is partly based on a speech by the character Jacques’ big speech in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. The speech is most famous for its opening lines: “All the world’s a stage / And all the men and women merely Players / They have their exits and their entrances / And one man in his time plays many parts.”
Why Colonel Tom Parker wanted the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll to record this song
Elvis didn’t originate “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” The ballad was written in 1926 by Tin Pan Alley maestros Lou Handman and Roy Turk. It became a standard, and the controversial movie star and singer Al Jolson covered it. Famously, Colonel Tom Parker asked Elvis to record “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” because his wife, Marie Mott, wanted to hear the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll put his spin on it. Elvis’ rendition is clearly based on Jolson’s.
The singer wanted the single version of “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” to be sad, so he recorded it late at night in the dark. Of course, Elvis had a sense of humor, so he didn’t always perform “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” as a sad song. He would add jokes to the lyrics during some of his concerts.
How Elvis Presley’s ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ performed on the charts
“Are You Lonesome Tonight?” became a No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks lasting on the chart for 16 weeks in total. It appeared on the EP Elvis by Request: Flaming Star and 3 Other Great Songs. That EP climbed to No. 96 on the Billboard 200, lasting on that chart for 16 weeks.
Elvis by Request: Flaming Star and 3 Other Great Songs also includes “It’s Now or Never,” another famous ballad from the same era. The difference between “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and “It’s Now or Never” is that the former is a traditional ballad while the latter is a power ballad.
“Are You Lonesome Tonight?” is the perfect combination of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and the Bard.
