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Mary in the Morning

Rating:
4.5 / 5

Words & Music: Mike Rashkow Johnny Cymbal

Nothing's quite as pretty as Mary in the morning
When through the sleepy haze I see her lying there
Soft as the rain that falls on summerflowers
Warm as the sunlight shining on her head


When I awake and see her there so close beside me
I want to take her in my arms,
The ache is there so deep inside me

Nothing's quite as pretty as Mary in the morning
Chasing the rainbow in her dreams so far away
And when she turns to touch me I kiss her fingers so softly
And then my Mary wake to love and love again

And Mary's there in summer days or stormy weather
She doesn't care how right or wrong the love we share,
We share together

Nothing's quite as pretty as Mary in the evening
Kissed by the shade of night and starlight in her hair
And as we walk, I hold her close beside me
All our tomorrows for a lifetime we will share

Recordingdate: 1970/06/05, first released on: That's the Way It Is (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Mary in the Morning:

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

Others*

(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 Mary in the Morning.

old shep wrote on April 20, 2008
A good song,from a good album
My boy, my boy wrote on April 29, 2008
Nice melody...but I prefer the rehearsal version we hear in TTWII over the studio one !
JimmyCool wrote on April 29, 2008
I don't understand this song, sometimes I like it and sometimes I don't. It depends of the mood... sometiems I think it's boring. But I really like Elvis' morning voice. He sounds as he just woke up ;)
JLpResLey wrote on April 29, 2008
No I like the studio version best, it hasn´t get the credit it deserves. To me Elvis was always at his best with ballads. I don´t care that Elvis is the King of Rock, why isn´t he ever called the king of ballads. Of course, Sinatra had some good ballads, but he is not as good ballad singer as Elvis
FLASHBOY wrote on April 29, 2008
This song is simply beautiful That's what happen when Elvis sings ballads
Rob Wanders wrote on April 29, 2008
one of the most beautiful ballads Elvis ever sung. And the studio version is, for me, the best.
miked wrote on April 29, 2008
I absolutely love this song, well song with appropriate emotion. the fact I was going out with a girl called Mary at the time helps I suppose...ahh. one of my all time faves, one of many from the TTWII album
Dan wrote on April 29, 2008
I remember sometime on the early 80's, and my mother was driving my car. I had this cassette inside. When she go back, she sadi "I didn't know Elvis sang such beautiful songs!" Always a favorite. Goes to show Elvis had a wide range of emotions when singing...
jb4elvis wrote on April 29, 2008
IMHO, This is an amazing recording. Elvis' voice is terrific and he is convincing in his presentaton of this song! The mixing is done well to the point of being a beautiful product. Personally, I could listen to this song all day! It's too bad Elvis did perform this one live.
ElvisDayByDay wrote on April 29, 2008
A great song, performed by Elvis with the emotion this songs needs.
Natha wrote on April 29, 2008
A fantastic song in which Elvis puts so much more than just the words. A lovely way to describe ones feeling. I use this song regularly at home to please my wife and it really works! The impact of the song is incredible.
Lex wrote on April 29, 2008
A ballad like a ballad should be, tender as the best steak.
vegaselvisfan wrote on April 30, 2008
One of my all time favorites. TTWII is on my top list of albums, and this song is a top romantic ballad. The musical arrangement is all around beautiful, too. A lovely, lovely version of the song done by Al Martino.
AlStrada wrote on May 14, 2008
Really, really beautifull, one of the best
Ton Bruins wrote on August 28, 2008
Very good song. Elvis should have sung that song during his Live concerts..too bad it did not happened..I never skip this song when I listen to a CD with Mary In The Morning on it !
dressingroomrehearsa wrote on August 28, 2008
my favourite is the rehearsal version at Vegas in the original version of ttwii
ThomasM wrote on August 28, 2008
I've always loved this one, especially the studio version, but it contains a little mystery, and that is that you can hear somebody talking in the background at the end of the song. Actually, I think it's two persons carrying out a conversation. You have to listen closely with headphones on to catch this, it starts about 3 minutes and 30 seconds into the song, right where Elvis sings, "And as we walk, I hold her close beside me." It's impossible to discern what they are talking about, but it's definitely male voices. Now, what on earth is going on? My guess is this originates from the overdub session some two weeks later, as I can't hear it on the undubbed version released on the bootleg "Rough Cut Diamonds Vol 2." But if it's the microphone picking up some musicians not participating in the overdub (according to Joe Tunzi's Elvis Sessions III 23 musicians were in attendance) or if it's producer Felton Jarvis chatting with engineer Al Pachucki, who can tell?
Bob W. wrote on March 06, 2009
One star. Never a big fan of this song, way too boring for me.
Marty_TCE wrote on July 01, 2010
I heard this song playing in the street whilst walking down EP Boulevard in 2001 and everytime I have heard it since I remember the amazing feeling of being close to Elvis and Graceland. It is a very beautiful song and I love it to bits.
SuziB wrote on February 10, 2012
A beautiful song, stunningly performed and then ruined by criminal overdubbing shattering the mood of the song.
Gorse wrote on October 25, 2012
Yes a beautiful song, performed to perfection and given many a repeated spin by me.
sugartummy wrote on April 07, 2013
Charlie McCoy's harmonica is brilliant as ever. Sometimes the authors are listed as Cymbal/Lendell. A great song, done wonderfully.
shawnrw wrote on September 20, 2014
One of the most breathtakingly beautiful ballads Elvis ever did. Really could have been a hit on its own.
bajo wrote on October 09, 2014
Elvis was in great voice during the june 1970 sessions. Mary In The Morning is such a beautiful ballad and Elvis does a wonderful rendition of the song. Among other outstanding ballads he did back then is Funny How Time Slips Away, Just Pretend, I Reallly Don't Want To Know, Make The World Go Away, Tomorrow Never Comes and I've Lost You. What a feel!
jwedwards835 wrote on October 09, 2014
One of the most beautiful ballads in history! I give it the same amount of stars that are in the heavens.
ElvisSacramento wrote on March 03, 2016
This is surely one of the most beautiful ballads that I've ever heard and Elvis' rendition of this song is the greatest rendition of it that I've ever heard. Elvis should have sung it at some of his 1970's concerts too. This song really should have been a hit for Elvis, but it sadly wasn't.
Deano1 wrote on March 18, 2016
Not one of my favorites from my favorite Elvis LP, but still a nicely rendered ballad worthy of 3.5 to 4 stars. This song would have been a highlight on the "Love Letters From Elvis" LP, but on TTWII it is maybe the 10th or 11th best track.
Great Dane wrote on March 18, 2016
Also from one of my favorite LP. And one of my favorite song of this album. I like everything on it, the voice, harmonica etc. 5 stars period
MusicHeartNSoul wrote on July 01, 2016
Absolutely stunning. Elvis sings it like only he could. I love it. I can't get enough of Elvis singing this song. All I have to do is insert my name for "Mary" and Elvis is singing to me. Definitely 5 plus stars.
MusicHeartNSoul wrote on July 01, 2016
Just listening to different versions on YouTube and Elvis sings this song with some different lyrics. Of course his lyrics are best!
JerryNodak wrote on August 13, 2019
Great song expertly rendered by Elvis. 5 stars.
Milky White Way wrote on August 14, 2019
The talking towards the end of the song, I have been fascinated with why this was allowed or skipped the ears of Felton. However this is a classic track and I love it so much. Do ballads get better than this?
Miknik7077 wrote on December 23, 2020
Maybe his best ballad of the 70's. Just absolutely beautiful and brilliant. Lisa Marie would say this was her favorite song by her dad. Can't argue.
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