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TL;DR:

  • Elvis Presley’s “Burning Love” was written by a famous songwriter.
  • The songwriter said the sense of humor in his songs was inspired by his Texan upbringing.
  • The songwriter explained why “Burning Love” was designed to be a tune for newlyweds.
"Burning Love" era Elvis Presley with a microphone
Elvis Presley | GAB Archive/Redferns

Elvis Presley‘s “Burning Love” is one of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll‘s most famous songs. The writer of the song said it was designed for newlyweds. In addition, the songwriter said fans had a misconception about what Elvis thought about “Burning Love.”

1 songwriter wrote hit songs for Elvis Presley and various country singers.

Dennis Linde was a songwriter who gave the world hits such as The Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl” and Mark Chesnutt’s “Bubba Shot the Jukebox.” During a 2005 interview with The New York Times, Linde discussed the sense of humor in his songs. He said it came from his Texan upbringing. “I was 11 or 12 when I left there, and in Texas, storytelling was always popular,” he said. “So were nice big lies and tall tales.”

Linde also discussed his taste in literature. “I always loved Mark Twain, that kind of writing,” he revealed. “I was fascinated with Huck Finn. That story had everything involved in it — the whole American experience.” Linde particularly enjoyed the humorous sections of Huck Finn about the King and the Duke.

Elvis Presley liked ‘Burning Love’ until he didn’t

Subsequently, Linde discussed the origin of “Burning Love.” “I wrote that song on a lark,” he recalled. “I had bought a set of drums and was learning to play them, and that same afternoon I had to put something down on tape. So I recorded a drum track and put a melody out there with it.”

Linde said his love life inspired “Burning Love.” “I was a newlywed, and ‘Burning Love’ was a great newlywed title,” he said. “I had it done in 20 minutes.”

Linde revealed “Burning Love” took an interesting path to get to Elvis. “I cut the song first, then Arthur Alexander did it as an album cut,” Linde said. “Contrary to popular belief, Elvis loved it at first. Later on, he didn’t.”

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Elvis Presley Recorded So Many Songs in the ‘Suspicious Minds’ Session It Took a Year and a Half to Release Them

How ‘Burning Love’ and its parent album performed on the charts in the United States

“Burning Love” became Elvis’ final major hit in the United States. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song stayed on the chart for 15 weeks.

“Burning Love” appeared on the album Burning Love and Hits from His Movies, Volume 2. The album hit No. 22 on the Billboard 200. Burning Love and Hits from His Movies, Volume 2 stayed on the chart for 25 weeks.

“Burning Love” is a classic song that hopefully entertains newlyweds to this day.

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