Words & Music:
Ed Warren
Arthur Kent
Take good care of her, take good care of her
I suppose I ought to say congratulations
For you won the only girl I ever loved
But I hurt too much to face the situation
Just take good care of her, take good care of her
Just to be around her was my greatest pleasure
She was everything my future held in store
So remember when you take my only treasure
Just take good care of her, take good care of her
I must accept it, she loves you more than me
So with my broken heart I'll bow out gracefully
Please don't send me any wedding invitation
For I couldn't bear to see her there with you
If she's happy, that will be my consolation
Just take good care of her, take good care of her
Take good care of her, take good care of her
Recordingdate: 1973/07/21, first released on: single (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Take Good Care of Her:
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
Others*
(guitar)
(cello)
(cello)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
*Orchestra, overdubs
Availability
Find available albums with Take Good Care of Her.
Country like my father likes it and I don't. You hear Elvis isn't comfortable with this song and it sound like he is following the melody from a sheet in stead of laying down his own interpretation.
Maudlin easy listening fodder. Elvis deserved better.
I completely love this performance. The regret and sadness in Elvis´ voice is unforgettable. Maybe the song isn´t good enough, but the performance Elvis gave is just outstanding.
Boring is the only word I can use to describe this song.
An old Sonny James number which Elvis to turned into a dirge.I very rarely play this track now as it is hardly uplifting in these troubled times
This is the WORST, and most AWFUL, song Elvis ever recorded. Never, ever, eared it completely!
It's far to Kinky and Corny to me! The "please don't send me any wedding invitations" phrase kills me! Have to skip this awful track immediately!
Beautifully sung, and Elvis makes you believe the story it tells. I always enjoy listening to it.
Unbel that this was actually released as a single. Did they really think there was a market for this? Boring song from one of the worst recording sessions of his career.
I Love Country Music , but this one is really boring,
"Take Good Care of her".. was the "flip side" to the fantastic single. "I've Got a Thing about you baby". Obviously, "Take Good Care of Her" was aimed at Country Radio while "I've Got a thing about you baby" was aimed at Pop Radio. But its one of Elvis' weaker efforts with a Country song, for sure ! Some of you may not be aware of this, but when Elvis came home from the army, he was sending records and gifts to Priscilla, back in Germany. And one of the records he sent to Priscilla, was the "original version" of "Take Good Care of her". The song, had became a special song in their relationship. Elvis recorded his version of the song, shortly after they split up in 1973.
And Its quite possible, Elvis wanted this song to be a single, so that his ex-wife, may hear the song on the radio.. and think of him.
IMHO, one of Elvis' best studio performances of the 1970's. The arrangement is awesome and his voice is convincing. I love how he back up singers are used, especially as the song nears the end. I don't know if his personal life at the time had any bearing on him recording this one. In the Philadelphia area where I was living a young boy when this was released, this one recieved a lot of air time on the radio.
This song is truly dreadful. I think he was asleep when he recorded it.
This song was recorded during the july '73 sessions. A session that produced the Raised On Rock album. As such, Take Good Care Of Her/I've Got A Thing About You Baby would have suited that album better than the inclusion on Good Times. Nevertheless, I'm afraid I have to join those who find this one a little uninspired. I wonder what this one along with the flip side would have sounded if rerecorded during the december sessions? I was surprised to find that Ernst didn't find room for it as a bonus when releasing the FTD album of Raised On Rock. I guess it's because he sees that it would ruin the classic release of the Good Times album with inclusion on both? If memory serves me right, this song was done by Dean Martin. It that was the first and original, I don't know. But, we all know how much Elvis admired Dean's singing.
Saying goodbye to Cilla, that's the way I've always understood this song. Beautifully sung.
Boring, uninspired yes. But it's not the worst, that should be reserved for He's Your Uncle Not Your Dad.
This was one of the few good songs that come out of the 70s. From 1970 there was only a few
It's a country song. Not bad, not really great. I have always felt that Elvis relied too heavily on backup singers, and on this track I find they drowned him out on the chorus--I'd always much rather hear just Elvis. This is a song that would have been greatly improved by the sincerity in Elvis' voice, but you can't hear it very well. I think a stripped down arrangement of this would hold up just fine alongside Elvis' other 1970s country output. A better arrangement and it'd fit in nicely with the whole Elvis Country album, though this was a few years later.
While I may be in the minority here, I love this song. Elvis seems really focused on this song, his voice is strong and convincing. I love the piano intro and the vocal surge by the back up singers just before the final "take good care of her." IMHO, this is one of Elvis' best performances of the 1970's.
A 3 1/2 star song that doesn't maintain it's luster after several listens, but it is still a very good country song. To those who think Elvis is drowned out, I have to wonder what you are listening to? I realize he blends with the background singers on the choruses, but I still here him pretty plainly. As to who would buy it? How about a #4 ranking on the country chart? RCA realized with singles like "Burning Love" and "Steamroller Blues" you could push one side on the pop chart and one on the country. Here this song lived up to it's end of the deal on the country chart, but "Ive Got A Thing About You Baby" stalled at #39 on the pop chart.
Boring song that was done too many times before by others. Elvis did not do anything special with this song at all.
This song comes no where close to being my favorite song or favorite country song. However it is not a bad song. It is arranged well and the harmonies blend well. It is simply mediocre. Not every song can be a hit. Elvis obviously identified with the song and appears to have a personal connection to it. I really don't think anyone else could sing it any better.
I didn't care for this very much when it was released, but it's grown on me through the years. I remember I didn't care for the original version by Adam Wade either. There are moments in Elvis version which suggest he had a difficult time singing the lyrics which he probably related to his own situation at the time . These days when ever Elvis version comes on Sirius Radio, I usually listen to it and enjoy it, and I never skip it on CD. Haven't heard Wades version in a real long time.
Never got into this song at all. Whether it is Elvis or the song I am not sure, it is just about passable, but emits little or no excitement for me.
I've heard other earlier versions of the song and they all sound pretty good, but no one else sings it believable with that tear in his voice as Elvis does.
Very well done pure country song, but not among my personal favorites. I just thought Elvis was so far beyond this kind of clichéd fodder. This kind of song is best left to people like George Jones.
Elvis' rendition of this song was dramatic, brilliant, heartfelt and convincing. The regret and sadness in Elvis' voice makes his rendition of it a masterpiece. It's a sad and heartbreaking song, but an excellent song.
Was Elvis singing to Mike Stone? He wanted Stone killed, so that seems unlikely. Still, Stone is the only one he could have been singing it to.
Let's not be too dramatic about the meaning of the lyrics. Elvis didn't personally write the song. He was just singing it to a microphone for a record. -- According to Ernst Jorgensen in the book, "Elvis - Day by Day", the 1974 RCA single of I've Got A Thing About You Baby/Take Good Care Of Her sold half-a-million copies in the U.S. Too bad it hasn't been certified "Gold" by the RIAA. Maybe Ernst Jorgensen or Roger Semon should look into that.
Elvis sounds very whiny on this song, it's really too much.
1-star. I don't know why Elvis bothered recording some of this drivel. The word "boring" comes to mind.
Nothing special, but I've always liked it. The version I knew best before Elvis cut the song was by country singer Sonny James. 3 stars.
Good rendition of a country standard.
With that sadness only a man with the personal experiences can convey. I've always liked it. Too bad many on here are weak characters who think life is only about being young and happy.
Not up there with his great recordings, but much better than the mid 60's efforts
Not the best track on Good Times but still beautiful to my ears. Sung with such commitment and feeling. Maybe inspired by personal feelings but we’ll never know. IMO the Stax sessions produced some his best work, with no clunkers. 4 stars