Listen to the Song
Song DNA
Genre
Pop Ballad
Era
60s
Mood
Romantic
Tempo
Ballad
Key
Major
Texture
Sparse
Sound
Vocal-focused
Feel
Triplets
Elvis Presley
Blue Hawaii (1961)
George David Weiss, Luigi Creatore, Hugo Peretti
Originally featured in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii, this iconic ballad adapted an 18th-century French melody into a cornerstone of 20th-century pop. Despite initial rejection by his producers, Elvis's insistence on the track created a global standard for love songs and his preferred concert finale.
Chorus
Verse
This song's harmony is distinctive for its heavy reliance on the iii chord (Em) and its secondary dominants in the bridge. While most pop songs of the era relied on I-IV-V or I-vi-IV-V, this progression utilizes a more sophisticated, quasi-classical structure.…
The song was written by George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, and Luigi Creatore specifically for the Elvis Presley film 'Blue Hawaii'. According to Weiss, the movie's producers and Elvis' own associates did not like the song's demo, but Elvis insisted on recording it f…
“Elvis used this song as the finale for almost every live performance during his 1970s concert era.”
This song's harmony is distinctive for its heavy reliance on the iii chord (Em) and its secondary dominants in the bridge. While most pop songs of the era relied on I-IV-V or I-vi-IV-V, this progression utilizes a more sophisticated, quasi-classical structure. The bridge is particularly notable for its repetitive V-i motion in the key of the mediant (iii), which creates a 'rushing' feel that mirrors the lyrics about a river flowing.
The song was written by George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, and Luigi Creatore specifically for the Elvis Presley film 'Blue Hawaii'. According to Weiss, the movie's producers and Elvis' own associates did not like the song's demo, but Elvis insisted on recording it for the soundtrack.
Originally featured in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii, this iconic ballad adapted an 18th-century French melody into a cornerstone of 20th-century pop. Despite initial rejection by his producers, Elvis's insistence on the track created a global standard for love songs and his preferred concert finale.
6 of 12 sections are ready. Ask for the rest and this song moves up our analysis queue.
Genre
Pop Ballad
Era
60s
Mood
Romantic
Tempo
Ballad
Key
Major
Texture
Sparse
Sound
Vocal-focused
Feel
Triplets
11.2M
Plays
1.5M
Listeners
4.0M
Genius Views
7
Annotations
100%
Popularity
2:57
Duration
4/4
Time
From the album Blue Hawaii
Chords Em B7 ✕ A7 ✕ Dm ✕ ✕ G7 C ✕ Am ✕ F G Em B7 A7 Dm G7 C Am F G Harmony This song's harmony is distinctive for its heavy reliance on the iii chord (Em) and its secondary dominants in the bridge. While most pop songs of the era relied on I-IV-V or I-vi-IV-V, this progression utilizes a more sophisticated, quasi-classical structure. The bridge is particularly notable for its repetitive V-i motion in the key of the mediant (iii), which creates a 'rushing' feel that mirrors the lyrics about a river flowing. Some sections are still pending 6 of 12 sections are ready. Ask for the rest and this song moves up our analysis queue. Request the full analysis
Chord Diagrams Em B7 ✕ A7 ✕ Dm ✕ ✕ G7 C ✕ Am ✕ F G
Composition The song was written by George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, and Luigi Creatore specifically for the Elvis Presley film 'Blue Hawaii'. According to Weiss, the movie's producers and Elvis' own associates did not like the song's demo, but Elvis insisted on recording it for the soundtrack. Inspiration: The melody is adapted from 'Plaisir d'amour', a classic French love song composed in 1784 by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini. Recording Studio: Radio Recorders Producer: Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore Elvis used this song as the finale for almost every live performance during his 1970s concert era. The song was originally titled 'The Gladys Song' during the writing phase because it was intended for Elvis to sing to his mother, but the lyrics were later changed. Producer George Weiss claimed he had to fight to get the song to Elvis because the publishing company preferred faster-tempo tracks.
Chord Sheet Transpose 0 Capo 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Auto-scroll Print Copy chords Reset Chords Used Hide functions C I T Em iii T Am vi T F IV P C I T G V D F IV P G V D Am vi T F IV P C I T G V D C I T Progression by Section Chorus Em iii T B7 V7/iii D Em iii T B7 V7/iii D Em iii T B7 V7/iii D Em iii T A7 V7/ii D Dm ii P G7 V7 D Verse C I T Em iii T Am vi T F IV P C I T G V D F IV P G V D Am vi T F IV P C I T G V D C I T Chord Diagrams Em B7 ✕ A7 ✕ Dm ✕ ✕ G7 C ✕ Am ✕ F G Harmony Analysis This song's harmony is distinctive for its heavy reliance on the iii chord (Em) and its secondary dominants in the bridge. While most pop songs of the era relied on I-IV-V or I-vi-IV-V, this progression utilizes a more sophisticated, quasi-classical structure. The bridge is particularly notable for its repetitive V-i motion in the key of the mediant (iii), which creates a 'rushing' feel that mirrors the lyrics about a river flowing. Find Tabs & Chords Songsterr Interactive tabs Ultimate Guitar Chords & tabs Cifra Club Chords
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