Words & Music:
Claude Francois
Bill Martin
Phil Coulter
Jean-Pierre Bourtayre
You're sleeping son, I know
But, really, this can't wait
I wanted to explain
Before it gets too late
For your mother and me
Love has finally died
This is no happy home
But God knows how I've tried
Because you're all I have, my boy
You are my life, my pride, my joy
And if I stay, I stay because of you, my boy
I know it's hard to understand
Why did we ever start?
We're more like strangers now
Each acting out a part
I have laughed, I have cried
I have lost every game
Taken all I can take
But I'll stay just the same
Because you're all I have, my boy
You are my life, my pride, my joy
And if I stay, I stay because of you, my boy
Sleep on, you haven't heard a word
Perhaps it's just as well
Why spoil your little dreams
Why put you through the hell
Life is no fairytale
As one day you will know
But now you're just a child
I'll stay her and watch you grow
Because you're all I have, my boy
You are my life, my pride, my joy
And if I stay, I stay because of you, my boy
Recordingdate: 1973/12/13, first released on: Good Times (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of My Boy:
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(piano)
(organ)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
Others*
(oboe)
(sax)
(sax)
(trombone)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(cello)
(cello)
(cello)
(cello)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
*Orchestra, overdubs
Availability
Find available albums with My Boy.
Amongst the vast array of beautiful balads sung by Elvis this is a gem. Who else than the King himself can convey the deep emotion hidden in the lyrics. Some of the live versions are so outstanding that one cannot help but getting goose pimples all over.
What a great song this is ! Never skipp it when a CD with this song runs...We have some great Live versions of My Boy...also a song to sing along with Elvis, lol. "Because you all I have My Boy, You are my life, my pride, my joy"...!!! My Boy fits perfect with Elvis' voice and his life...
Richard Harris' original version was truly outstanding and I didn't think that this could be bettered, but alike many times before Elvis has taken a song and made it his own.Both the single/album version and the in concert recordings were truly masterful, it was obvious that Elvis could relate to the sentiment of the lyric.
A timeless ballad, one of Elvis's best mid 70's, that had a very special live treatment with The King pulling his voice to the limit almost in the last verse! A well deserved top 5 in the UK, in 1975!
This song is since Elvis came into my life (1975) one of my favourite songs. Everything is right with this song. The melody, the lyrics, the voice. There was a period I loved the 'Our memories of"- version the most, but now I go (although I also like the live versions) for the standard Good Times-version.
Elvis was great at songs like this. Those over the top, big voiced, melodramatic ballads. This is the Elvis I love to listen to. Great track from an underappreciated album.
Simply a wonderful recording. And yet there are times when I skip this for a while. And then when I hear it once again, I wonder what I was thinking of. It´s brilliant
I have 2 little Boys and this song makes me feel like I own the whole wide world. Anyone who doesn't have this right at the top of their list is dead inside. I never call Elvis the King of Rock'n'Roll, to me he is purely the King of any musical style he decides to sing. TCB
This is a great song, and it was performed well, especially in 1975 because I have heard the live version and I am just blown away by the arrangement. This is a fantastic song.
Great song,it did very well here in europe. In mine opinion elvis in the seventies is the best you can have.
A great performance by Elvis. One of my favorites, from the "Good Times" album. I had a friend who, wasn't an Elvis fan (her loss) but she really liked this song. This song touched so many hearts, because Elvis sang it so well, with such emotion and heart. Its one of the best singles released in mid 70s.
an Elvis 1970's classic!-he put his heart&soul in singing this song,i think it was Lisa marie he had in mind when performing this awsome song?;you can sense the raw emotion in every word sung and cant help being touched by this very powerful performance from the king.(i am really looking foward to hearing an unreleased alternate version or undubbed version on the forthcoming "Goodtimes" RCA/FTD album,there bound to release a good outtake of this superb song??)
An absolute masterpiece from the Stax Sessions in Memphis (December 1973). The song was originally buried on the 1974 LP "Good Times" (Elvis' worst selling LP of new material in his lifetime), but Elvis and RCA made sure it was not overlooked as he sang it many times in concert and RCA released it as a single in 1975. Elvis drains every last bit of emotion out of the lyrics of this sad, but beautiful ballad. In my opinion, I would rate this recording as one of Elvis' 20 best.
Never been one of my favorites....and i´m sure i´m not the only one. I hardly play it, and i think theres much better 70s material available, like Always On My Mind, For Ole Times Sake, Its Midnight etc.
This is the Elvis I dont care for, big ,over the top ballads. Wish he would have to stuck to more simpler ballads with a lot less background. Way too Vegasy for my tastes.
I always liked this ong but now I've got a baby son (Danny!) the lyrics really take on an extra depth for me they didn't have before. The live versions where he holds the long note at the end are breathtaking. So emotional.
I don't know, I guess its OK, but I never warmed up to these overblown ballads. Maybe it was because these types of songs alienated Elvis from the more hip rock scene and identified him more with Tom Jones & Vegas. He needed hipper material than to cover Richard Harris. He may have gained some fans with these songs but he lost many also.
Love the song and have a version by Richard Harris too. Elvis' version is one of my all time favourites, never get tired of it.
I love this song and all the big-voiced, overblown ballads of the '70s.
It was great to see Elvis back in the top ten of the Uk singles chart when this was released in Oct 1974. Indeed it was Elvis's first Uk top ten for 2 years peaking at #5. That said it's not a recording that I play that often, neither is it one that i would copy when burning cd's to play in the car. It's follow up's, Promised Land & T_R_O_U_B_L_E were to me much better, proving that Elvis could still rock with the best.
Now were talking! This is an outstanding song by the King, even as a child I listened to the haunting melody and the pure emotion in Elvis' voice, and it really touched me inside. As an adult it still does! I thank my father for playing the 45 of this song and making me forever a fan of The King! The live version on the Vegas box set is out of this world! My Boy, My Boy! Lol! TCB!!
Yes I also like the overblown ballads which very few singers could achieve with that much power and conviction.
Love the August 1975 Vegas amateur filmed version where he builds up the ending of the song over the last 45 seconds, by fully belting out and holding a note with the backing singers in full throttle, back arched, to spontaneous audience applause - magic.
Phil Coulter said it was the highlight in his musical career; the fact that Elvis recorded one of his songs. This song is my brother Kees favourite Elvis song. I like it too. Overblown, but still touching.
The song was originally a French song called Parce que je t'aime mon enfant written by JP Bourtayre and Claude Francois.
I do not care for this song, period! Too many of these "overblown" reaching for the stars songs in the 1970's. Thanks, but no thanks.
Great song, I like both the studio version and the live performances
I was surprised how many covers Elvis did through the 70's of great songs by other artists. In most cases Elvis did it his way! As for My Boy, I think he did very well. Well sung and with that feeling only Elvis could deliver when he was really into it. You can hear it here, he was. And that's what caught my ear. And maybe for all those who bought the single, actually making it a hit . It may not be on the top of my playlist, but it's in my own Hits Of The 70's compilation. And I like it when I hear it! Elvis sang well during those Stax sessions. You may want to compare to the singing he did on Where Did They Go Lord or Rags To Riches to what he did at Stax. Those two songs mentioned lacks that emotional feel he delivered in '73, imo!
As a divorced dad this song hits home. So heartbreaking and sad and Elvis nails every emotion. Tremendous performance.
the original is a French song; the singer and author of lyrics, Claude François, was the same who created Comme d'Habitude now famous as My Way. i am French but I must say that Elvis' versions are by far the best.
A really big hit in the Uk and the first Elvis song I heard and acknowledged as a young boy. Within 6 months I was a devoted fan and Promised Land was the first single I bought upon its release. This debated “over blown ending” is the Elvis I fell in love with and this song is a pure classic. We have to remember, this is what Elvis wanted to do and be known for. His idols where people who sang these type of songs! 5 stars