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TL;DR:

  • Elvis Presley’s “Surrender” uses the same sequence of notes as the James Bond theme.
  • Elvis had the initial idea for “Surrender,” which was written by a pair of major songwriters.
  • “Surrender” became a hit once in the United States and twice in the United Kingdom.

Elvis Presley‘s “Surrender” has the same melody as the James Bond theme. Notably, the song came about because the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll wanted to sing an old Italian song with different lyrics. Subsequently, Elvis’ regular songwriter hated the assignment.

Elvis Presley’s ‘Surrender’ predates the debut of the James Bond theme song by 1 year

According to the Riverfront Times, the James Bond theme has a bassline that uses the notes B-C-C#-C. The same sequence of notes is in “Surrender.” However, 007 and company cannot claim plagiarism. “Surrender” predates the first James Bond movie, Dr. No, by a year.

Furthermore, “Surrender” is based on an earlier Neapolitan song called “Torna a Surriento.” Notably, Elvis’ “It’s Now Or Never” was also based on a Neapolitan song, in this case “‘O sole mio.” It seems that Italian music had quite the influence on the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll!

1 of Elvis Presley’s regular songwriters didn’t want to rewrite an Italian song for a ‘redneck’

Mort Shuman and Doc Pomus were a songwriting duo known for penning Elvis hits like “Viva Las Vegas,” “Little Sister,” “Kiss Me Quick,” and “(Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame.” According to the 2007 book Lonely Avenue: The Unlikely Life & Times of Doc Pomus, Elvis asked his music publisher, Freddy Bienstock, for a rewrite of “Torna a Surriento” that he could sing. 

Shuman hated the idea of making Elvis, a “redneck,” sound like Italian actor and singer Mario Lanza. He told Pomus to write the song, noting he would only have to write the song’s lyrics, not its melody. Pomus used the title “Surrender,” which sounded like the last word of the title “Torna a Surriento.” The final version of the song features writing credits from Shuman, Pomus, and “Torna a Surriento” writer Ernesto De Curtis.

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How ‘Surrender’ performed on the pop charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

“Surrender” was a huge hit for Elvis. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, staying on the chart for 12 weeks in total. The tune appeared on the compilation record Elvis: 30 #1 Hits. That record reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a trio of weeks, lasting on the chart for 166 weeks altogether.

The Official Charts Company reports “Surrender” was massive in 007’s native United Kingdom as well. There, the tune peaked at No. 1 and spent a total of 15 weeks on the chart. Upon a 2005 rerelease, the single climbed to No. 2 in the U.K. and stayed on the chart for five weeks. Meanwhile, Elvis: 30 #1 Hits topped the U.K. chart and remained there for a whopping 202 weeks.

“Surrender” is a great song and it leaves listeners shaken, not stirred.

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