I'm A Roustabout

It is funny there are songs that people listened to for years from Elvis' movies (and enjoyed) and over time, music critics and/or listening to them too much make people think they aren't good. They hear someone put a song down and they don't want to be embarrassed so they no longer like it. Then when a fair to decent lost song comes out, people start fawning all over it, like it is another "Don't Be Cruel". This song is the same as the rest of the soundtrack it was recorded for, pleasant and pretty good, but not great. There is a little extra toughness in his voice, that isn't on most of the tracks from this movie, but the lyrics are suspect and the song just can't be considered one of his best.

I like this song! And I wish there were a proper studioversion available to fit into a FTD classic album of the soundtrack. The song suits the rest of the soundtrack and could well have been included as a bonus track back then! Little Egyp/I'm A Roustabout might have gone over well as a single imo!

I don't care for this song at all. Much prefer the other Roustabout song that was used.

I like this song a lot. Yes his voice has more of an edge to it and that's what lifts it above the rest of the soundtrack. Would have fit nicely on the LP as the opening track followed by Little Egypt. Bang Bang! Of course its no Don't Be Cruel but it is sure better the than the happy bounce along tame Roustabout which sounded like a million other movie songs. Too bad we waited all these years to hear it. Amusing funny lyrics as well.

Very good song. Better than the original title tune. Listen to his voice. He is into this song much more than most movie songs. I swear I hear a little of the 50's Elvis creep in there. Of course a Blackwell/Scott song is not going to be like a Tepper/Bennett movie song. You are are going to get a better song with hipper lyrics and this is just what this was. Elvis probably got pumped up when he saw the writers and gave it his all. Thanks to the Colonel many fans never got to hear it.

An hungry Elvis putting his teeth in a song he really seems to like. Rejected because in those days they thaught the words were too controversial or agressive ?

Great song. Elvis was in a gooed mood. I think he knew who's writen this gem and give it all. But as always.But what a stupid idea to reject this great song

This was the rejected version and compared to the album original I can see why. I do not care for this version at all.

I really got a kick out of hearing this one when I first played the album. It´s so much better then the other Roustabout song, that I don´t like at all. Yes, sometimes we make these kind of songs better than they are, because we have not heard them before, but I like this one just as much as the remix of Rubberneckin´ that appeared on the same album. That number became a hit, this could have been that too

I like this one, it was good to have something long forgotten discovered.

This was an amazing Find by Ernst and RCA. I Loved it, the minute, I first, heard it ! The song is fun and Elvis the Rock-N-Roller, sings it, with such energy and power. I wish more lost songs like this would be discovered.

I'm so very glad that this long lost song was found by Winfield Scott himself at his house and that he then allowed it to get officially released by RCA. I've loved this song ever since I first heard it. It's one of nine songs that Elvis recorded that was written by Winfield Scott.

A much better song then Roustabout, but with lyrics that seems slightly SM, I understand why someone voted NO to this song. Blackwell never wanted to write for Elvis again when this song was rejected.

Why not two title tracks both in the film and on the soundtrack, as was done a mere six months before w/ Kissin' Cousins? I'm a Roustabout actually suits the dynamic between Charlie (Elvis) and Joe (Leif Erickson), as set up in the screenplay. And it's always great to hear EP rocking out on a piece of material he seems to actually enjoy singing! Why everyone involved took a pass on this track from a great songwriting team w/ a winning track record is anybody's guess. But it was another lost opportunity, for sure.

I like them both but one will always tend to go for the newer version until that is seasoned and heard for a few years. Let the first one be the opener, which I think is the best place of the 2, and this version be at the hard hitting centre of the dispute between Charlie and Joe.

I LOVE this song and Elvis' performance. They had Kissin Cousins number one and two, why couldn't they include both Roustabout songs in the movie? They are both great, but the nod goes to this one.

Mediocre to say the least....

Over the last 11 years I have grown to enjoy and appreciate this song more than I did in my review of it in 2010. I could see as was mentioned previously a possible hit single with this song and "Little Egypt"...Concerning why the song was replaced, it had nothing to do with Colonel Parker as was suggested by one reviewer. It was rejected by Paramount due to the line "stick it in his ear" which they found offensive. They asked for new 'title' song to be written and the tamer "Roustabout" was written and recorded...Not sure of the validity of whether the rejection of this song resulted in Otis Blackwell not wanting to write for Elvis; however, Otis didn't really have much impact on popular music past 1964 so it is doubtful Elvis' career suffered it is true...Last thought, why was it Elvis gave grittier performances on songs that were deleted from movies? "She's A Machine", this song, "Animal Instinct" and even "Steppin' Out of Line" are all some of the better performances from the respective movies for which they were written (not saying they were among the best written, strictly Elvis' performances). On songs like this he sounds like a totally different person than on half-hearted performances such as "Baby If You'll Give Me All of Your Love'.