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Just Call Me Lonesome

Rating:
4.2 / 5

Words & Music: Rex Griffin

Why must I love a heartless woman
Who never knows the harm she's done
Though love is blind I should have known
Just call me lonesome from now on

I climb the stairs up to my room
But no-one greets me in my gloom
The silence tells me she is gone
Just call me lonesome from now on

These walls will hide me when I cry
I hope that heaven lets me die
What good is life when hope has gone
Just call me lonesome from now on

Just call me lonesome from now on

Recordingdate: 1967/09/10, first released on: Clambake (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Just Call Me Lonesome:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(steel guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)
(organ)
(harmonica)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(sax)

Availability

Find available albums with Just Call Me Lonesome.

old shep wrote on April 20, 2008
I love the original version as placed on the Clambake album as a bonus track,which turned out to be one of the best tracks on that album.
sitdown68 wrote on April 05, 2009
In best Floyd Cramer manner, nashvilles 60's country. He should have taken the time to do a country album then instead of Clambake. A wonderful song. What if Elvis had been singing "Night Life"...I wonder why he never recorded this gem.
Swen wrote on April 05, 2009
Elvis Presley was probably the best country and western singer ever. But envy meant that he was never fully acknowleged in Nashville. All these dull, boring guys with their cowboy hats on just couldn´t stand the fact that in was in a class of his own with so much success, and so incredibly handsome. Here we have it all: Studio B, Jordanaires, the A team, and the King!
Natha wrote on April 05, 2009
It is this kind of outstanding performance that made me get into other styles of music. Starting with a dominant RnR preference the King knows how to present (in this case) country in such a way that one cannot but love it. Here he shows he is the King of all musical trades!
Steve V wrote on April 05, 2009
I like the 1981 remix better. It put a little more kick into the song and less country.
My boy, my boy wrote on April 05, 2009
I always skip that one...
JimmyCool wrote on April 05, 2009
I love Elvis' voice on this one... but that guitar... man, it's annoying!
commoneverybody wrote on September 20, 2009
The 1981 remix is one of my favorites!! I dont like the original, but i really love the swinging remix! Should be a single release back then!
Ton Bruins wrote on September 20, 2009
No, never liked that song...boring..always skipp it..
dgirl wrote on September 20, 2009
Not the greatest of songs and certainly not the greatest of arrangements (yes that annoying guitar) but a highlight on the dreadful Clambake LP. So was the state of Elvis in 1967.
bajo wrote on September 20, 2009
Nothing exceptional, but I simply like it! Nice country feel og good vocal!
Swen wrote on September 20, 2009
Super country performance by the KING! Making an ok song great!
JerryNodak wrote on September 20, 2009
Elvis knew what real country music was and he could. sing it. Great song. Tremendous performance. REAL country.
Deke Rivers 6 wrote on December 02, 2009
Talking of annoying guitar...."Walking In A Winter Wonderland" has the same ! I'm not a lover of country music anyway.
Steve Morse wrote on December 02, 2009
I think the first line should be, "Why must I love the heartless one?". It's pure 'country', and I'm very fond of this track. The outtake has a key change and a word change - meets/greets.
Monster wrote on December 02, 2009
LOve the original version. Very graceful singing and authentic country production for the time. The guitar is much less noticeable on the outtakes on FTD's So High album. A beautiful alternative to the original. The 1981 version has a much beefier production but it suffers from that dreadful early 80's sound that country music has been ruined by ever since. It just tries too hard and ends up losing the beauty of the song.
Deano1 wrote on December 02, 2009
A straight forward country song delivered in style by Elvis. Not a great track, but a very good one. I would give it 3 1/2 stars, but the rating system on here does not allow half stars so I will give it 3. This song was recorded in September 1967 at a strong recording session that also produced "Guitar Man", "Big Boss Man", "Mine" and "You Don't Know Me" (The record version, not the film version). It was released on the soundtrack LP "Clambake" (not recorded for or in the movie), which was a good album if you take the horrible song "Hey, Hey", Hey" off of it. Side two of this album which includes this song is much better than side one.
TBG wrote on December 12, 2010
A really great song, always loved it!!
derekd wrote on January 16, 2011
When you look at some of Elvis's recordings around 66 to 68 this was a breath of fresh air. Pity it was hidden away on another poor movie Lp. Rca should have got Elvis to do a full c&w album around this time and 'Lonesome' would have made a good single to promote it. Some recordings where already there, Big Boss Man, Guitar Man, US Male, Too Much Monkey Business, to name a few.
GEORGE (GK) wrote on May 10, 2011
I too like the remixed 80's Version better. But both versions are good. Elvis sings it great.
Parsec wrote on December 16, 2011
This song was so hidden away in the soundtrack of a B-Movie that when I heard the remixed version in the Guitar Man album back in 1981 it was new to me. The remix gave it new life. I don't understand why some people criticized this effort (the Guitar Man) album, since it gave new life to his songs. And those who don't like the new version can still listen to the originals if they want. The same thing happens with the colorized version of Jailhouse Rock. It's not like they dissapeared the original B/W version.
Pedro Nuno wrote on July 16, 2012
Great Song. Booth the original and the 1980 remix. The remix was in my 1st ever Elvis Album: The Guitar Man album that i had back in 1980. Still like it a lot.
Marty_TCE wrote on July 16, 2012
Lovely little ditty, head and shoulders above most if not all of the soundtrack album it appeared on. Crisp and cleanly delivered, I like this one a lot. (why did RCA not ever get the hint that the fans were buying soundtracks for the bonus tracks?!!!!)
Gorse wrote on January 07, 2013
This is a real nice country song which Elvis delivers in a voice delivered to accentuate the country feel along with the steel guitar. A high class performance all round that is fully deserving of 4 stars
sugartummy wrote on March 30, 2013
A song that I cannot get out off my head. The original is great, but the 1981 version is even better. Does anyone know who plays on the "Guitar man" LP? Ernst Jorgensen could've named all players on the "Too much monkey business" CD, but didn't.
JerryNodak wrote on January 13, 2019
That annoying guitar is a steel guitar, and back in the day when country stars and bands played real country music, it was a featured instrument.
TheMemphisFan wrote on January 13, 2019
~ Correct lyrics to Elvis' master take... Why must I love a heartless one, who'll never know the harm she's done --and later in the song-- These walls will hide me when I cry, then hope that heaven lets me die ~ Listen closely with headphones and you'll hear Elvis say, "Oh yeah" at about the 1:15 mark of the song.
Cruiser621 wrote on January 13, 2019
Average 3-star tune. It moves along at a good clip; unfortunately included on the garbage soundtrack "Clambake".
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