23 - Elvis Presley - Are You Lonesome Tonight - 40 Greatest Hits

“Are You Lonesome Tonight” is one of Elvis Presley’s most hauntingly beautiful ballads, a gentle blend of spoken word and song that captures the ache of love lost. Originally penned in 1926 by Roy Turk and Lou Handman, it was already a standard before Elvis recorded his version in 1960—but his interpretation brought a new depth of vulnerability and longing. The sparse, delicate arrangement lets the emotion seep through every note, and the spoken bridge, delivered with a quiver of heartbreak, has become one of the most recognisable moments in his discography. It’s a performance where silence and space do as much as the melody, making it feel like a late-night confession whispered to the stars. During the 1969 Las Vegas engagement that marked Elvis’s triumphant return to live performance, “Are You Lonesome Tonight” delivered both poignancy and (unexpectedly) comedy. One night, midway through the spoken-word interlude, Elvis suddenly burst into laughter—rumour has it that someone in the front row made a goofy face, or that a stagehand had played a prank backstage. Whatever the cause, Elvis famously couldn’t stop giggling, turning the heart-wrenching soliloquy into a fit of gleeful chaos. The incident was caught on tape and later released as the “Laughing Version,” which became beloved in its own right. That mix of sincerity and spontaneity only deepened his legend—proof that even during a serenade of sorrow, The King never stopped being real. #ElvisPresley #AreYouLonesomeTonight #Elvis40GreatestHits #BBCNumberOneAlbums #TheKing #HeartbreakBallads #1960sElvis #GracelandNights #VelvetVoiceElvis #LaughingVersion #ClassicElvis