Are You Lonesome Tonight

Album: The Top Ten Hits (1960)
Charted: 1 1
Play Video
  • Are you lonesome tonight,
    Do you miss me tonight?
    Are you sorry we drifted apart?
    Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny 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 must play a part.

    Fate had me playing in love you as my sweet heart.
    Act one was when we met, I loved you at first glance
    You read your line so cleverly and never missed a cue
    Then came act two, you seemed to change and you acted strange

    And why I`ll never know.
    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 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 make them bring the curtain down.
    Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
    Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight? Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 10

  • AnonymousWhat a blessed and gifted singer
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1960 {November 14th}, "Are You Lonesome To-Night?"* by Elvis entered Billboard's Top 100 chart at position #35, the following week it jumped to #2, and on it's third week on the chart it peaked at #1 {for 6 weeks}...
    And it also reached #1 in Canada, Australia, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom...
    The first four weeks it was #1, the record at #2 was "Last Date" by Floyd Cramer, and that was it's peak position on the chart. Both "Are You Lonesome To-Night?" and "Last Date" were on the RCA-Victor Record label, Floyd Cramer played piano on "Are You Lonesome To-Night"...
    * "Are You Lonesome To-Night?" replaced "Stay" by Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs at #1 on the Top 100, "Are You Lonesome To-Night" was 3:07 in length, while "Stay" was 1:50 and it stills holds the record as the shortest #1 record...
  • Jennifur Sun from RamonaI also understand that this song helped make Elvis acceptable to his peers who were ballad singers.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 17th 1960, Dodie Stevens* performed "Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight" on the NBC-TV program 'Saturday Night Prom"...
    Eight days later on December 25th the song entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart for a six week stay; and on January 29th, 1961 it peaked at #60 {for 1 week}...
    She had four other songs make the Top 100; "Pink Shoe Laces" {#3 in 1959}, "Yes-Sir-Ee" {#79 in 1959}, "The Five Pennies" {#89 in 1959}, and "No" {#73 in 1960}...
    * Dodie was 14 years old at the time of her appearance on 'Saturday Night Prom', she was born Geraldine Ann Pasquale on February 17th, 1946.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 8th 1960, Elvis' "Are You Lonesome Tonight" " was in its 2nd of six weeks at #1 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart...
    And also on this day in 1960 teenage rock star Fabian visited Elvis at the Graceland mansion in Memphis, and according to web site http://www.oldiescalendar.blogspot.com Elvis was demonstrating some karate moves and ripped his pants, and Fabian lend his pants to the King...
    Fabian's biggest hit was "Tiger" in 1959; it peaked at #3; while the King managed to have eighteen #1 records and five that peaked at #2.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyIn 1961 an answer record was released, "Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight", by Thelma Carpenter and Dodie Stevens. Carpenter's version peaked at #55 while Stevens' reached #60!!!
  • David from Brunssum, NetherlandsAl Johnson ends the spoken part with the sentence "...in the part of a broken clown". Elvis changed this to "with emptiness all around".
  • Tony from Dordrecht, NetherlandsHe also used the "the bald head" lyric on June 25th 1968, during the rehearsals, for his upcoming NBC Special, wich can be heared on the Follow That Dream release "Let Yourself Go"! -Tony Versluis, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
  • Alex from Calgary, CanadaThe 1969 "laughing version" is the only version known in which Elvis used the "bald head" lyric. And it was in fact recorded officially by RCA, not unofficially. It was recorded along with other performances that were released on the Live at the International Hotel album, which included a non-laughing performance of this song recorded on another night. RCA released the "laughing versoin" for the first time in 1979. And it should not be confused with a similarly messed up version (apparently intentional) recorded in 1977 for the Elvis in Concert special and album.
  • Genevieve from Leongatha, AustraliaIn some live versions Elvis would change 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?/"
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."

Hardy

HardySongwriter Interviews

The country hitmaker talks about his debut album, A Rock, and how a nursery rhyme inspired his hit single "One Beer."

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" Album

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" AlbumSong Writing

In the summer of 1990, you could get arrested for selling a 2 Live Crew album or performing their songs in Southern Florida. And that's exactly what happened.

Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al YankovicFact or Fiction

Did Al play on a Beach Boys record? Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? See if you can spot weird but true stories.

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

Michelle Branch

Michelle BranchSongwriter Interviews

Michelle Branch talks about "Everywhere," "The Game Of Love," and her run-in with a Christian broadcasting network.