Elvis Presley’s Heart-Wrenching Ballad: The Story of ‘Heartbreak Hotel’

This song was one of the first Elvis’ songs recorded on RCA Victor studio—the new studio for him—but the result was so unlike his previous works at Sun studio, that many at RCA disliked it, and they didn’t believe that the song should be released at all.

Did you know

The song was number one in two Billboard charts: Top 100, and the Country and Western. And it was also the first of Elvis Presley’s singles to be included in charts in the UK.
This song allowed Elvis Presley to obtain his first gold record.
This song belongs to the Grammy Hall of Fame since 1995. In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine put it at the place 45 in its list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and it also got a place on the list of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll the same year.

Video

Lyrics

Well, since my baby left me
Well, I found a new place to dwell
Well, it’s down at the end of Lonely Street
At Heartbreak Hotel

Where I’ll be, I’ll be so lonely baby
Well, I’m so lonely
I’ll be so lonely, I could die

Although it’s always crowded
You still can find some room
For broken-hearted lovers
To cry there in their gloom

They’ll be so, they’ll be so lonely baby
They get so lonely
They’re so lonely, they could die

Now, the bell hop’s tears keep flowin’
And the desk clerk’s dressed in black
Well, they’ve been so long on Lonely Street
They’ll never, never look back

And they get so, they get so lonely baby
Well they are so lonely
They’re so lonely, they could die

Well, now, if your baby leaves you
And you got a tale to tell
Well, just take a walk down Lonely Street
To Heartbreak Hotel

Where you will be, you will be so lonely baby
Well you will be lonely
You’ll be so lonely, you could die

Although it’s always crowded
But you still can find some room
For broken-hearted lovers to cry there in their gloom

Where they get so, they get so lonely baby
Well they’re so lonely
They’ll be so lonely, they could die