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Change of Habit

Rating:
4.4 / 5

Words & Music: Ben Weisman Buddy Kaye

If you're in old habits
Set in your old ways
Changes are a-comin'
For these are changing days
And if your head is in the sand
While things are goin' on
What you need, what you need,
What you need is a change of habit

Now if you're in the habit
To let your temper fly
When you talk with people
Who don't see eye to eye
And if you don't believe it
There's a newer world ahead
What you need, what you need,
What you need is a change of habit

A change of habit, a change of outlook
A change of heart, you'll be all right
The halls of darkness
Have doors that open
It's never too late
To see the light

So if you're in the habit
Of putting people down
Just because they're different
From the wrong side of town
Well, don't count on any medals son
They're pinning none on you
What you need, what you need,
What you need is a change of habit

Recordingdate: 1969/03/06, first released on: Let's Be Friends (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Change of Habit:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)

Availability

Find available albums with Change of Habit.

ElvisDayByDay wrote on May 05, 2008
This song has something going for it, just can't put my finger on what it is.
Lex wrote on June 05, 2008
Without any doubt one of the better title tracks of an Elvis flick.
Rob Wanders wrote on December 08, 2008
together with "Edge of reality" this song has a place apart for me; and it's a positive place.
old shep wrote on December 08, 2008
I remember the humiliation of this Elvis film going straight to television without a showing in cinemas in the UK. I never really rated the film, but the songs were a notch above Elvis' previous efforts of the then past six or seven years. I can't make my mind up about this particular number though.
Jimmy Boy wrote on December 08, 2008
Always liked this one, lyrics a bit naff but musically great (heavy funk bass riffs and break beat section) Sung really well too. Singer special in the can and vegas rehearsals to look forward too - our man was on the up!
Steve V wrote on December 08, 2008
Excellent movie song, one of the better title tracks. Should be better known. Another hidden gem that could use new life. Gee it was even buried in the movie with all the traffic blaring in the background.
Natha wrote on December 08, 2008
A song at the very end of Elvis' movie career. As I was also growing up this song inspired me quite a lot. I never really liked the movie, but this songh brightens up my day.
theoldscudder wrote on December 08, 2008
A nice song, I always liked it. One of the better of the movie songs. However it now seems kind of dated.
My boy, my boy wrote on December 08, 2008
Very nice one. After the American Studio's sessions, it was the type of song needed to go on with !
Sundial77 wrote on December 08, 2008
I always liked this song, but 'thanks' to the movie it's very underrated like many songs from this period, to me it's a hit!
GEORGE (GK) wrote on December 09, 2008
I Love this song! And I Love the movie! This is a song, that, with a good "overdub" and "remix" could be a hit in 2008.
Pedro Nuno wrote on November 24, 2009
One of the very few Ben Weisman's songs that actually I can listen, and even enjoy it. That says much about the quality of the writer than the song it self. Anyway I enjoy very much the film witch marks the end of an era.
Deano1 wrote on November 24, 2009
The very interesting and odd, yet enjoyable title tune to Elvis' last movie (not counting documentaries). A little bit funky, a little bit rock n' roll with a nice message behind it. Not quite a gospel or sacred song, but definitely leaning in that direction. Elvis manages to pull everything together and make this one memorable. Like the movie, this song is very underrated and it should not be confused with just another Elvis movie title song.
Great Dane wrote on November 24, 2009
One of his best title moviesong,and like someone said,too bad you can't hear it in the movie that good.
OneSidedLoveAffair wrote on November 25, 2009
I never liked this song (it's rhythm is very odd) or the movie. Goodie two-shoes MTM and Elvis? Not!
NONE000000 wrote on November 25, 2009
This is one I always liked. I like "Have a Happy" a lot too, from this film. I like it much better than Rubberneckin from the same movie--but these were all very much a cut above for a soundtrack. This feels like a hit song to me.....in some alternate universe where Bob Dylan hadn't already sung about changes "a-comin'" several years earlier. Lyrically, in fact, there's quite a bit here in common with Dylan's "The Time's They Are A'Changin'" from 1964. By the time Elvis sang this, the times had already kinda a-changed. But still, in many ways this song and movie felt much more in step with the times--a black woman as a major character, abortion mentioned, an attempted rape, the idea of celibacy for the clergy--it was not a great movie, but man, compared to Harum Scarum and Kissin Cousins, Elvis must have really felt like he had a real script for once!
Deke Rivers 6 wrote on December 18, 2009
Not a particlarly good song,but the film was good.
Deke Rivers 6 wrote on June 17, 2010
Would have liked Lawdy Miss Clawdy jam session on the EP at the time.
1 BILLION SOLD wrote on June 17, 2010
I have always liked this song, just a good feeling happens when it plays, I know this cuz I just had it blarin' in my car not 8 minutes ago and I still have it in my head with good feelings!!!
Marty_TCE wrote on June 17, 2010
A really catchy, feel good tune. I love it!
JerryNodak wrote on June 17, 2010
I like the song very much. Would have been interesting to see how a single of Rubberneckin'/Change Of Habit would have done on the charts back in the day.
derekd wrote on January 28, 2012
1969 and the recordings by Elvis where getting great again. This and others really were a change of habit. What a turnaround from the songs being recorded for films in 1966 / 67. And check the responce in the pop charts. Top 10 hits in the singles and albums charts word wide. Welcome back Elvis, you were badly missed.
GEORGE (GK) wrote on January 28, 2012
Love the movie, Love the song. Elvis was looking amazing and sounding great in 1969.
freedom101 wrote on March 29, 2012
Back when this song was put out RCA really missed the wagon. It was a contemporary movie with contemporary songs, plus they had the biggest artist in the history of entertainment, yet they failed in their promotional efforts. What a waste! At least "Rubbernecking" finally got the respect it deserved when it topped Billboard's Hot 100 singles sales chart in 2003.
ElvisSacramento wrote on January 04, 2013
I've always liked this song immensely and it should definitely be far better known than it actually is. It's such a terrific, catchy, underrated, fun and feel good tune. I like the movie a whole lot too.
Gorse wrote on January 04, 2013
Can't say I am a whole hearted convert to this song which has a rhythm and arrangement different from most other releases but there is something that prevents it hanging perfectly together. All a bit disjointed for me but still worth 3 stars.
alanfalk wrote on January 04, 2013
I really love this song, actually I love 90% of the movie songs from all the movies from Stay away joe and to change of habit, I think that many of those songs are just as enjoyable as most of the memphis songs from 69.
kink56 wrote on January 04, 2013
I like this and every song on Change of Habit. I REALLY like the Camden albums, Flaming Star, Let's Be Friends, Almost In Love, C'mon Everybody and I Got Lucky. They were basically replacements for the 45EPs literally and figuratively.
sugartummy wrote on February 27, 2013
The bass intro in pure funk. A good song from a not so bad movie.
japio wrote on July 20, 2013
Right in the face song. Great done. And so true. No one is better then the other. And underrated by the general music lovers
bk wrote on March 13, 2014
Absolutely love this song.. My 3 teenage son's love this song too. One of them and I were talking the other day and we compare to being a forerunner to Michael Jackson's "a Man in Mirrior" Song. They both seem to have a similar meaning.
Lou A wrote on March 14, 2014
I like this song a lot and all of the Change Of habit songs as well. If anyone remembers the Mickey Mouse Club, Mouseketeer Carl "Cubby " O'Brien plays drums on this track and Elvis gives him a chance to shine at the end of the song. Obrien plays on the other COH songs and Charro as well.
sugartummy wrote on August 01, 2015
It's Elvis' own practicing on the bass guitar and therefore love for the instrument, that put the bass upfront on this song and Let Us Pray. Both the bassintro's were Elvis' wish/idea.
shawnrw wrote on April 09, 2016
Actually a pretty decent song from a pretty decent movie. Strongly phrased with poignant lyrics that fit in well with the film's story, it is a message song with a moralistic statement. Not a classic but genuinely well done.
Jim Davidson wrote on August 13, 2016
Change of Habit ranks near the top of my list. I always hit the repeat button on my CD player and listen to it at least 25 times.
Cruiser621 wrote on May 20, 2017
This is one of the few soundtrack tunes I absolutely like. I gave it 5-stars. It's different and pertsonally I think it would have made a decent single, but if memory serves me right, this was the end of his movie career and like who cared anymore.
atomic powered poste wrote on March 02, 2018
Not bad, unusual drumming style for an elvis song, the lyrics reflect the social mood in the late 60's, but of course in a superficial way. Overall there is nothing wrong with the song, but the whole thing isn't to memorable either. 3 stars.
Stevekimb1 wrote on December 02, 2020
A very good song. The social messaging is more upbeat than heavy-handed.
DerekH wrote on October 09, 2022
Interesting, at last a good movie song, did Elvis have an input as to the choice of songs?
Milky White Way wrote on October 10, 2022
Love this song. A 5 star classic all the way but what do you expect for 1969. Enough said
TheMemphisFan wrote on October 10, 2022
I've always liked this 5-star song ever since I first heard it in the early 1970s.
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