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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Elvis Song "A Mess of Blues"
Find out all about Elvis' million-selling blues hit, "A Mess of Blues"! The flip-side of the big pop hit "It's Now Or Never", and a classic piece of Elvis blues! Get the back-story, download it, view it, and give us your opinion about it!
Basic Stats for "A Mess of Blues"
Just the facts, ma'am!
Written by: Doc Pomus, Mort ShumanRecorded: March 21, 1960, RCA Nashville Studios
Single: w/ "It's Now Or Never", 47-7777, July , 1960 (Million Seller)
Also re-released as Gold Standard Series, 447-0628, February 1962
Highest U.S. Charts Position:
#32 on Billboard Hot 100
1st LP release: Elvis' Gold Records, Volume 4 - February 1968
Greggers' Spin
Just my opinion. Give us yours!
Songwriting team Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman had written a handful of hits before submitting their first for Elvis, "A Mess Of Blues". They would eventually write some of Elvis' great 60s classics like "Little Sister", "His Latest Flame", "Gonna Get Back Home Somehow", "Viva Las Vegas" and quite a few others. Elvis recorded "A Mess Of Blues" during his first set of post-army sessions in March of 1960. These were also Elvis' first true stereo recordings. "A Mess Of Blues" is a pure upbeat blues song, and Elvis gives it the full treatment! The melody in the middle section has Elvis soaring and diving...
Oops, there goes a teardrop rolling down my face
If you cry when you're in love, it sure ain't no disgrace
...and the ending builds to a nice finale, Elvis repeating the title phrase, "Since you're gone I've got a mess o' blues", and slipping into a smoothe falsetto at the very end, something the Beatles would make their trademark in a few years.
As the flip-side of Elvis' huge international hit, "It's Now Or Never", "A Mess Of Blues" was a bit overlooked on the U.S. charts, and peaked at #32. It may also be the case that the pop music charts weren't as receptive to a pure blues song as they were to a pure Italian pop song. After all, this was 1960. Although its hit flip-side showed up on Elvis' Golden Records, Vol. 3 in 1963, "A Mess Of Blues" wouldn't show up on an album until 1968's Elvis' Gold Records, Vol. 4.
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Other Spins
What did the critics and fans say?
"A Mess Of Blues" is a classic Presley recording: curiously his voice sounds different from other numbers at the same session. He sings with his tongue further back in his mouth. But Presley is fully in front, giving each word its due; he drives the song forwards, matching the lyrics and giving urgent shape to the number. The final falsetto is a master-touch.
Robert Matthew-Walker, Elvis Presley - A Study in Music, 1979
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Check out other Elvis fans' opinions on the Elvis News page for A Mess Of Blues
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Robert Matthew-Walker, Elvis Presley - A Study in Music, 1979
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Check out other Elvis fans' opinions on the Elvis News page for A Mess Of Blues
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What do YOU think of "A Mess Of Blues" ?
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Pomus and Shuman Links
More About Songwriters Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman
- Doc Pomus
- From the official Doc Pomus page. Be sure and check out the biography and the "Songs Written By" pages.
- Songwriters Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman
- two great articles from the Elvis-Australia site
- Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman
- from the History of Rock site
- Elvis Chante Mort Shuman and Doc Pomus
- French "fan club only" double-CD release of all songs by Pomus and Shuman.
- Elvis Chante Mort Shuman and Doc Pomus
- the All-Music review of the CD, with track listing
- Tell The Truth Until They Bleed
- another great article on Doc!
"A Mess Of Blues" Lyrics
I just got your letter baby
Too bad you can't come home
I swear I'm goin' crazy
Sittin' here all alone
Since you're gone
I got a mess of blues
I ain't slept a wink since Sunday
I can't eat a thing all day
Every day is just blue Monday
Since you've been away
Since you're gone
I got a mess of blues
Whoops there goes a teardrop
Rollin' down my face
If you cry when you're in love
It sure ain't no disgrace
I gotta get myself together
Before I lose my mind
I'm gonna catch the next train goin'
And leave my blues behind
Since you're gone
I got a mess of blues
Whoops there goes a teardrop
Rollin' down my face
If you cry when you're in love
It sure ain't no disgrace
I gotta get myself together
Before I lose my mind
I'm gonna catch the next train goin'
And leave my blues behind
Since you're gone
I got a mess of blues
Since you're gone I got a mess of blues
Since you're gone I got a mess of blues
Too bad you can't come home
I swear I'm goin' crazy
Sittin' here all alone
Since you're gone
I got a mess of blues
I ain't slept a wink since Sunday
I can't eat a thing all day
Every day is just blue Monday
Since you've been away
Since you're gone
I got a mess of blues
Whoops there goes a teardrop
Rollin' down my face
If you cry when you're in love
It sure ain't no disgrace
I gotta get myself together
Before I lose my mind
I'm gonna catch the next train goin'
And leave my blues behind
Since you're gone
I got a mess of blues
Whoops there goes a teardrop
Rollin' down my face
If you cry when you're in love
It sure ain't no disgrace
I gotta get myself together
Before I lose my mind
I'm gonna catch the next train goin'
And leave my blues behind
Since you're gone
I got a mess of blues
Since you're gone I got a mess of blues
Since you're gone I got a mess of blues
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- FoxMusic FoxMusic Sep 1, 2008 @ 6:04 pm
- Another Great 7" Elvis Presley Picture Sleeve "A Mess of Blues" b/w "It's Now Or Never" RCA Victor 47-7777
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- kma4444 kma4444 Aug 10, 2008 @ 5:56 pm
- Good Job
Http://www.sportscarstuff.com
Http://mallenalley.com
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Reply
- Sherfy Sherfy Jul 31, 2008 @ 1:38 pm
- This song is a great Blues song done by one of the greatest Blues singers ever. You can hear the pure, raw emotion in his voice as he goes into "If you cry when you're in love
It sure ain't no disgrace". This song never got its much deserved respect.
Go back to the Elvis Songs Index page, and look up another classic!!
by greggers
Hey, y'all! Thanks for dropping by! I'm a major Elvis fan and have a couple of Elvis websites out there, and I'm now trying my hand at creating some... (more)
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