lp discography - covers & lyrics

1.

FROM GRACELAND TO THE PROMISED LAND

(Merle Haggard)
« © '77 Tree Publishing, BMI »
Ladies and gentlemen - my farewell to Elvis

From the sun years of the fifties and the birth of rock and roll
Millions screamed to see him do his thing
Elvis touched the life of every ear that heard him
And they couldn't help but listen when he sang

It's a long way from Memphis to that mansion in the sky
But he kept his faith in Jesus all along
It's a long way from Graceland across Jordan to the Promised Land
But Jesus finally came to lead him home

From the days of Love Me Tender to his mama's last farewell
Some say he knew how long he had to stay
His life was two days longer than the one who gave him life
And he almost knew the number of the days

It's a long way from Memphis...

It's a long way from Memphis to that mansion in the sky
But he kept his faith in Jesus all along
It's a long way from Graceland across Jordan to the Promised Land
But he kept his favorite Jesus all along
**********

2.

IN THE GHETTO

(Mac Davis)
« © '68 Cherry River Music, BMI / Chrysalis Songs, BMI / ATV Songs, BMI »
As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago morn
A poor little baby child is born in the Ghetto
And his mama cries
Cause there's one thing that she don't need
Is another little hungry mouth to feed in the Ghetto

People don't you understand the child needs a helping hand
He'll grow to be an angry young man someday
Take a look at you and me are we too blind to see
Do we simply turn our heads and look the other way
As the world turns

A hungry little boy with a running nose
Plays in the streets as the cold wind blows in the Ghetto
And his hunger burns
So he starts to roam the streets at night
And he learns how to steal and he learns how to fight in the Ghetto

Then one night in desperation the young man breaks away
And he buys a gun and he steals a car and he tries to run
But don't get far and his mama cries

As a crowd gathers round and the angry young man
Paces down the street with a gun in his hand in the Ghetto
As the young man dies

On a cold and gray Chicago morn
Another little baby child is born in the Ghetto
And his mama cries
(In Ghetto oh oh)
**********

3.

DON'T BE CRUEL

(Otis Blackwell - Elvis Presley)
« © '56 Cherry River Music, BMI / Chrysalis Songs, BMI / Unart Catalog, BMI »
You know I can be found sittin' home all alone
If you can't come around a least please telephone
Don't be cruel to a heart that's true

Baby if I made you mad for something I might have said
Please let's forget the past the future looks bright ahead
Don't be cruel to a heart that's true
I don't want no other love baby it's just you I'm thinking of

Well don't stop thinking of me don't make me feel this way
Come on over here and love me you know what I want you to say
Don't be cruel to a hear that's true
Oh why should we be apart I really love you baby cross my heart

Well let's walk up to the preacher let us say I do
Then you'll know you'll have me and I'll know I'll have you too
Don't be cruel to a heart that's true
I don't want no other love baby it's just you I'm thinking of

Don't be cruel to a heart that's true don't be cruel to a heart that's true
I don't want no other love baby it's just you I'm thinking of
**********

4.

JAILHOUSE ROCK

(Jerry Leiber - Mike Stoller)
« © '57 Jerry Leiber Music, ASCAP / Mike Stoller Music, ASCAP »
The warden threw a party in the county jail
The priosn band was there they began to wail
The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing
You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing

Let's rock everybody let's rock
Everybody in the all cell block was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock

Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone
Little Joe was blowing on the slide tronbone
The drummer boy from Illinois went crash boom bang
The whole rhythm section was the purple gang

Let's rock everybody let's rock...

No 47 said to No 3
You're sure the cutest jailbird I ever did see
I sure would be delighted with your company
Come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me

Let's rock everybody let's rock...

The sad sack was a sittin' on a block of stone
Way over in the corner weeping all alone
The warden said hey buddy don't you be no square
Ain't find a partner use a wooden chair

Let's rock everybody let's rock...
[ guitar ] Shifty Henry said to bugs for heaven's sake
No one's looking now's our chance to make a break
Bugsy turned to shifty and he said nix nix
I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks

Let's rock everybody let's rock...
**********

5.

LOVE ME TENDER

(Elvis Presley - Vera Matson)
« © '56 Cherry River Music, BMI / Chrysalis Songs, BMI »
Love me tender love me sweet never let me go
You have made my life complete and I love you so

Love me tender love me true all my dreams fulfill
For my darling I love you and I always will

Love me tender love me long take me to your heart
For it's there that I belong and we'll never part

Love me tender love me dear tell me you are mine
I'll be yours through all the years till the end of time

Love me tender love me true all my dreams fulfill
For my darling I love you and I always will and I always will
**********

6.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT MAMA

(Arthur Crudup)
« © '54 Elvis Presley Music »
Well that's all right mama that's all right with you
That's all right mama just anyway you do
That's all right that's all right
That's all right now mama anyway you do

Well mama she done told me papa done told me too
Son that gal you're foolin' with she ain't no good for you
But that's all right that's all right
That's all right now mama anyway you do
[ piano - dobro ] I'm leavin' town today babe I'm leavin' town for sure
While you won't be bothered with me hangin' round your door
That's all right that's all right
That's all right now mama anyway you do
One more time
[ dobro ] Well that's all right that's all right
That's all right now mama anyway you do
Well that's all right that's all right
That's all right now mama anyway you do
**********

7.

HEARTBREAK HOTEL

(Mae Boren Axton - Tommy Durden - Elvis Presley)
« © '56 Tree Publishing, BMI »
Well since my baby left me I've found new place to dwell
It's down at the end of Lonely Street at Heartbreak Hotel
I'm so lonely baby I'm so lonely I'm so lonely I could die

And though it's always crowded you still can find some room
For broken hearted lovers to cry there in the gloom
And they'll be lonely baby yes they'll be lonely
They'll be so lonely they could die

The bellhop's tears keep flowing the deskclerk's dressed in black
They've been so long on Lonely Street they never will go back
And they'll be lonely baby they'll be lonely
They'll be so lonely they could die

So if your baby leaves you you have a tale to tell
Just take a walk down Lonely Street to Heartbreak Hotel
Where you'll be lonely and I'll be so lonely
We'll be so lonely that we could die
[ guitar - piano ] And though it's always crowded...
**********

8.

BLUE CHRISTMAS

(Bill Hayes - Jay Johnson)
« © '48 PolyGram Int, ASCAP »
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Don't mean a thing dear if you're not here with me

I'll have a blue Christmas that's certain
And when my blue blue heartaches start hurtin'
You'll be doing alright with your Christmas of white
While I'll have a blue blue Christmas
[ steel ] I'll have a blue blue Christmas without you
You'll be doing alright with your Christmas of white
While I'll have a blue blue Christmas
**********

9.

BLUE SUEDE SHOES

(Carl Perkins)
« © '56 Carl Perkins Music, BMI / Wren Music, BMI »
Well it's one for the money two for the show
Three to get ready now go cat go
But don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Well you can knock me down step in my face
Slander my name all over the place
Do anything that you want to do
But oh honey lay off of my shoes

Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes alright
[ guitar ] Well you can burn my house steal my car
Drink my liquor from my old fruit jar
Do anything that you want to do
But oh honey lay off of my shoes

Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes
[ guitar ] Well it's one for the money...
**********

10.

ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT

(Roy Turk - Lou Handman)
« © '26 Bourne Co, ASCAP / Cromwell Music, ASCAP »
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 held 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 that someone said the world's a stage and each must play a part
And fate had me playin' 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 have 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 they can bring the curtain down

Is your heart filled with pain could I come back again
Tell me dear are you lonesome tonight
**********

11.

MERLE'S FAREWELL TO ELVIS

(Merle Haggard)
« © '77 Tree Publishing, BMI »
From Graceland to Gloryland my best to Elvis
He joined the Promised land
**********