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Don't Leave Me Now

Rating:
4.3 / 5

Words & Music: Aaron Schroeder Ben Weisman

Don't leave me now
Now that I need you
How blue and lonely I’d be
If you should say we're through

Don't break my heart
This heart that loves you
They'll just be nothing for me
If you should leave me now

What good is dreamin'
If I must dream all alone by myself
Without you darling
My arms would gather dust

Come to these arms
These arms that need you
Don't close your eyes to my plea
Don't leave me now

Recordingdate: 1957/02/23, first released on: Loving You (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Don't Leave Me Now:

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

Availability

Find available albums with Don't Leave Me Now.

dgirl wrote on August 01, 2009
I always liked this song from Jailhouse Rock. Since I didnt have an LP player until 1960, I didnt know there was a different version on the Loving You LP! I like both.
1 BILLION SOLD wrote on April 06, 2010
Really like EL's version in JR, but everytime I watch the movie I have to laugh at the "Mickey Alba" version in the movie, u know, the one who stole the song from Vince. That sounds really corny, kinda like Frank Sinatra wouldve done it!! Just makes me laugh, then our boy puts his cool to it and its really good!!!
Monster wrote on April 06, 2010
Really nice song, beautiful plaintive singing on this ballad done by the King at his rock and roll peak.
TBG wrote on April 06, 2010
Yeah I like this song too. A bit overlooked, but like most of what Elvis did in the 50's I like it and the energy he puts into the songs.
derekd wrote on April 06, 2010
Not a song often talked about, but like most of the recordings from the 50's very good. I may be wrong, but did Elvis not sing both versions in the Jailhouse Rock film?
old shep wrote on April 06, 2010
A really good soundtrack song from the 1950s when Elvis fans considered every song to be a gem.
Deano1 wrote on April 06, 2010
According to legend, Elvis was never satisfied with his performance of this song and that might be why they used it as the "stolen arrangement" song in "Jailhouse Rock". This one and "I Need You So" are very similar and I like both of them a lot. Neither song may be the equal of his 50's classics, but both still deserves four stars, maybe even four and half.
shoesuedeblues wrote on April 06, 2010
A song I like together with that memorable scene in the recording studio when Elvis & co are putting the song down on tape. To bad "Mickey Alba " pinched Elvis' song and arrangement.
ElvisSacramento wrote on October 28, 2012
This is such a splendid, underrated and overlooked song and it's one of seventeen songs that Elvis recorded that was written by Aaron Schroeder.
Gorse wrote on December 16, 2012
Prefer the Jailhouse Rock version, although I always thought this song the least impressive of the soundtrack. I like it but have never gone overboard about it.
kink56 wrote on December 16, 2012
For many years the Jailhouse Rock version was only available on the EP. I waited many years before it became available on CD, as it was only availabe on LP from the Jailhouse Rock LP from South Africa. I MUCH prefer the Jailhouse Rock version, performance wise. But as far as the quality of the recording, the Loving You version is better. Some of the vocals on Jailhouse Rock were recorded with a microphone causing a thinness in the tonal quality of Elvis' voice. A good example of this is the movie version of Treat Me Nice vs the single version. You can hear the microphone causing a thinness in the movie version. But the performances on the Jailhouse Rock soundtrack is outstanding.
Cruiser621 wrote on December 16, 2012
One of my favorites from the soundtrack album "Loving You" and I much rather prefer it over the "Jailhouse Rock" version. I could never understand why he recorded it again for his third major movie when he did it on the soundtrack album of his 2nd movie. The song really tied in nicely with the rest of side 2 (non-soundtrack songs) on the "Loving You" soundtrack album. I Need You So and Have I Told You Lately That I Love You were in the same vein. Mellow, easy going ballads. A great era his 1950's output compared to what was coming in the 1960's and 1970's.
Natha wrote on December 16, 2012
Here one witnesses the genius ELVIS fully at work. A song that could be sung as was traditionally done (viz. Alba version). Yet ELVIS comes up with his interpretation from his core genius. He sings from the heart, how he relates to it. Never get tired of listening to these 5+ star songs. It proves how unique ELVIS was in the fifties, as he was all during his life. Just listen to his later recording, when he put his 'feel' into recordings, not just his beautiful voice.
sugartummy wrote on March 02, 2013
I don't know which version I'm listening to right now, but it has some fine guitar licks on it. Good song.
Jim Davidson wrote on June 25, 2015
I love the studio watching the progression of studio-takes in the Jailhouse Rock movie. I had forgotten that a version of "Don't Leave Me Know" was on the "Loving You" album. Now, I'm curious to play the two versions on Disc #3 of "Elvis The Complete Masters".
ElvisSacramento wrote on February 17, 2016
This song is a true gem for sure and I've never skipped it. The other sixteen songs that Elvis recorded that were co-written by Aaron Schroeder were "A Big Hunk O' Love", "Anyway You Want Me (That's How I Will Be)", "Apron Strings", "Dixieland Rock", "First In Line", "Good Luck Charm", "Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do", "I Got Stung", "I Was The One", "In Your Arms", "It's Now Or Never", "Santa, Bring My Baby Back (To Me)", "Shoppin' Around", "Stuck On You", "Young And Beautiful" and "Young Dreams".
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