https://collider.com/elvis-presley-sadd ... nd-ballad/
By
Teguan Harris
Published 9 hours ago
Tehuan Harris is a news and features journalist at Collider, reporting and writing about all things music and reality TV (sometimes). She is a talented journalist and a natural storyteller who writes with curiosity and interest. After graduating from university, she jumped straight into journalism, with one goal in mind: to tell stories that matter.
Away from the newsroom, Teguan runs her own. She runs her own newsletters on Substack and Medium and recently became the Editor in Chief of her brand new Substack newsletter, Channel 25, which covers TV and movies. The T Word, a Substack newsletter that covers pop culture, trends, and society, was also launched in March (it's about time anyway).
Elvis Presley’s catalog is full of hits, some of which are the saddest songs in existence, such as “In The Ghetto”, “I’m So Lonely I Could Cry” and “Heartbreak Hotel.” While these songs could be considered Presley’s saddest, one song that still sends fans into tears over 50 years later is “Always on My Mind”, a song he recorded during some of his challenging moments. “Always on My Mind” will always be not only Presley’s saddest song, but also one of the best songs he had released in his career before his shocking death.
Elvis Presley Was Not The First To Release “Always on My Mind”
Presley’s “Always on My Mind” is a classic, but he was not the original singer. Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James wrote the song, with Carson writing the song in just 10 minutes at his kitchen table after an argument with his wife. “Always on My Mind” was first offered to Fred Foster, but he turned it down.
BJ Thomas was the first artist to record “Always on My Mind”, as he recorded the song in 1970. However, Thomas’s version was not released for over a quarter of a century, appearing only on his Collector’s Edition compilation album in 1996. Gwen McCrae first released the song with a different title, “You Were Always on My Mind”, in March 1972, and Brenda Lee released her version months later. Neither of the songs charted well.
Presley recorded “Always on My Mind” in March 1972, and it was not released until October. This version of “Always on My Mind” would soon become the biggest version at the time, as it became a huge hit in Europe. Presley was the first artist to achieve a hit with “Always on My Mind”, but he was not the last.
Elvis Presley’s Romantic Challenges Made “Always On My Mind” Even Sadder
Presley recorded his version of “Always on My Mind” in March 1972, weeks after his separation from his wife, Priscilla Presley. Before their separation, their marriage was turbulent, as both parties had affairs with other people in 1971. They filed for divorce on August 18 1971, and it was finalised in October 1973, a year after the release of “Always on My Mind.”
It is widely theorised that “Always on My Mind” is about Priscilla, which Carson confirmed in an interview. Gary James, an interviewer, mentioned to Carson how fans think the song is about Presley’s wife, which Carson responded with, “Well, he was.” The song was written years before Presley’s divorce, but given his situation, it was very fitting.
The context of the song and Presley’s separation gives the song more of an emotional appeal. “Always on My Mind” tells the story of a man regretting not giving his partner the love and care she deserves and always thinking about her, and wanting another chance at their love. When listening to the song, it is hard to argue that Presley was not pleading to Priscilla and was not regretting how their marriage ended up in ruins due to affairs and secrets. Presley’s vulnerability and the heartfelt lyrics in the song are what make “Always on My Mind” Presley’s saddest song in his discography.
A Country Artist’s Version of “Always On My Mind” Received Bigger Accolades
Presley’s “Always on My Mind” is one of the greatest songs of his later years, but his version was not the biggest. Willie Nelson, who is responsible for Patsy Cline’s “Crazy”, covered the song in 1982, and it became a country number one hit on Billboard’s Hot Country charts. It spent a total of 22 weeks on the chart and was awarded three Grammys, including Record of the Year. Pet Shop Boys also released a synth-pop version of the song in 1987, and it is one of their most-streamed songs.
Although Nelson’s version of “Always on My Mind” became more popular than Presley’s version, Presley’s take on the emotional song is still the most heartfelt. Presley made it more than a song; with his separation from Priscilla, the song became personal, and his heartbreak from the downfall of his marriage can be heard in the way he sang the song.
Presley died years after the song was released. For many fans, “Always on My Mind” is his last great single in his career. The song still brings fans to tears due to the context, and how it is one of his last great songs that was released, which helped define his legacy, and what fans can remember him by. “Always on My Mind” is not Presley’s saddest song, for just his romantic troubles. It is his saddest song because his fans can pay tribute to him by listening to his song, as he will always be on their minds.