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Make the World Go Away

Rating:
4.2 / 5

Words & Music: Hank Cochran

Make the world go away
Get it off my shoulder
Say the things we used to say
And make the world, make it go away

Do you remember when you loved me
Before the world took you away
Well if you do, then forgive me
And make the world, make it go away

Make the world go away
Get it off my shoulder
Say the things we used to say
And make the world, make it go away

Now I’m sorry if I hurt you
Let me make it up to you day by day
And if you will please forgive me
And make the world, make it go away

Make the world go away
Get it off my shoulder
Say the things we used to say
And make the world, make it go away

Recordingdate: 1970/06/07, first released on: Elvis Country (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Make the World Go Away:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)
(organ)
(harmonica)

Others*

(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(percussion)
(french horn)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(cello)
(cello)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with Make the World Go Away.

old shep wrote on April 25, 2008
I think Elvis goes little OTT with this one, not a favourite Elvis track, I'll stick with the Eddie Arnold version.
My boy, my boy wrote on September 19, 2008
Elvis's love for Country music is obviously felt on that one. I prefer the live version from TTWII over the studio one !
JLpResLey wrote on September 19, 2008
I don´t know. Some tracks from Elvis Country were just too much country in my opinion. I almost never listen to this one but if I had to choose I would have prefered the live one.
OtisBlue22 wrote on September 19, 2008
The live version has a cool, jazzy bass run and it's a darn shame that we can only watch this thing on "Elvis: The Lost Performances", a video almost 20 years old. The songs from Elvis Country (and TTWII) yielded the strongest, most committed performances of the August 1970 season!!
Steve V wrote on September 19, 2008
Elvis pleads for the world to go away. Sung with so much emotion you forget the Arnold version which is a nice country song. Elvis has the better version by far.
Steve Morse wrote on September 19, 2008
The vocal backing on the studio master ruins the performance - it's awful. The 'live' version is so much better !
OtisBlue22 wrote on September 19, 2008
The song reminds of "Welcome to My World" by Jim Reeves, another fine Elvis cut. They share the same melody. Hank Cochran, who wrote "Make the World Go Away", also performed with Eddie Cochran, and they were known as The Cochran Brothers, though they were unrelated.
ta2k wrote on September 19, 2008
This is another great performance. I love the repetition of 'get it off'. The King bleeds this song dry,i really like it. TCB
JerryNodak wrote on September 19, 2008
A classic track. A classic album. The live version pales before the studio version. Too much country? Now that's one of the silliest things I've read in awhile. The album title was "Elvis Country." Not Elvis sort of country, or watered down country, or almost country. He knew and understood the real stuff, and sure could sing it.
Natha wrote on March 26, 2009
If anyone doubts the fact that Elvis was the King of all musical trades, listen to this song then. Here Elvis exhibits his ability to perform pure country. It is all about singing one's heart out, expressing a heartfelt emotion. And who in the world could do that better than the King himself. It it these performances that made me add country to my dominantly Rock 'n' Roll preference.
ivag wrote on March 26, 2009
I really like this performance. A good album track and very good rendition of the classic. Only downside is the loud strings and background singers, but hey this was the seventies. Elvis sings it beautifully. The studio version is superior to the live version. The live version is faster and loose the relaxed feel of the studio version. Also, Elvis singing is uneven in the Hilton showroom. The studio version is simply splendid.
sitdown68 wrote on March 26, 2009
I like the Vegas version very much (TTWII 3CD set). My all time favourite if it comes to select a song for the lonley island...Its soft swing, the decent guitar playxing to Presleys vocal underline the song's emotion perfectly
MJB63 wrote on March 26, 2009
When Elvis sang country it wasn't straight country,just like when he sang blues it wasn't straight blues...it was all Elvis.He sings this song from the gut...and that can't be beat.
Danny_F wrote on March 26, 2009
Will never understand why he sang middle of the road rubbish like this. The blue rinse vegas crowd loved it but for real rock fans it's hard to take. It's songs like these that make the 70's such a waste.
dgirl wrote on March 26, 2009
you forget about every other version when you hear this one. a great performance. If only the 70's continued with this type of commitment to studio recordings.
bajo wrote on March 26, 2009
If ever there was anything called countrysoul, then Elvis is it! The Elvis Country album is that. If you want to understand Elvis Country, then listen to the originals. Make The World Go Away is a standout track in Elvis' rendition. Along with I Really Don't Want To Know, Tomorrow Never Comes and Funny How Time Slips Away. Add Just Pretend and you know what I mean!
Lpool kid wrote on August 06, 2011
what a great song,one of my favourite songs on the album along with funny how time slips away.what could be a maudlin song in somebody else's hands comes alive under elvis's influence.
TCB1974 wrote on August 06, 2011
A nice ballad from one of Elvis his best studio albums, Elvis Country. His voice sounded superb in 1970, warm and strong. The recording sessions in June 1970 produced some amazing recordings like Just Pretend or I really don't want to know... this song is good but does not excite me like the best recordings from this session. Three stars from me.
Rob Wanders wrote on August 06, 2011
He sings a fantastic version of this old country song. He really makes it a pop-country song. And its placed on one of his best albums: elvis Country.
bluesboy wrote on August 06, 2011
Yes it's not a rock song and in the hands of lesser singers it's only another mellow country lament but for Presley it's a superb vehicle to show his brilliance as an artist.
sugartummy wrote on April 04, 2013
"I sing all kinds". So country was no problem for Elvis. The best version of this song that I know. There is an album out by Jamey Johnson called Tribute to Hank Cochran, where he sings duets. He sings this song with Alison Krauss. It doesn't come close to Elvis' version.
Gorse wrote on July 15, 2013
I confess that I don't play this song that often and I suppose am committing sacrilege on this site when I say I prefer the more gentle Eddy Arnold version. I agree it is a fully committed vocal performance and there is basically nothing wrong with it at all, but for some reason it just misses its full impact on me - 4 stars.
Deano1 wrote on December 14, 2013
When Elvis put his heart and soul into a country song, he made country music sound like his own unique creation. His version of this song is soulful and sung to perfection (like most of the Elvis Country LP). This is truly one of the times where Elvis took a song and made it his. 5 stars!
ElvisSacramento wrote on December 15, 2013
This is such a stellar song and Elvis' rendition of it was excellent. But, I prefer Eddy Arnold's 1965 smash #1 hit version of this classic Country gem. "Elvis Country" is my favorite Elvis album from the 1970's.
shawnrw wrote on January 15, 2014
A forceful rendition of the Eddy Arnold classic. Arnold's is a sad lament, Elvis's version is more of a cry of pain and anger. Every bit as good as Arnold's but dramatically different in delivery.
atomic powered poste wrote on August 20, 2018
The arrangement is a little overblown in my opinion, but maybe that's just me. Elvis sings fantastic on this one. Not my favorite song on the fantastic country lp, but still great.. 4 stars.
Cruiser621 wrote on August 20, 2018
An acceptable tune, 4-stars. I never purchased "Elvis Country" as an original album when first issued; I was not into Elvis music at this point in my life. He had turned into a boring, on automatic pilot machine as far as I was concerned. In later years I would go back and re-hash his 1970's output; some for the good, but most not very inspiring.
Jeoliverm wrote on September 03, 2019
Gorgeous, nothing less. A perfect closing performance for an almost perfect album. I'm astonished with some of the comments below, but each one has his own points of view.
jaques marcello wrote on September 03, 2019
Great Song
Miknik7077 wrote on December 30, 2020
Fantastic rendition of Eddy Arnold's song. Made it his own. Almost screaming and crying out in his voice makes this one a tearjerker.
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