"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" (sometimes stylized as Are You Lonesome To-night?) is a song written by

Roy Turk Roy is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origin. In Anglo-Norman England, the name derived from the Norman ''roy'', meaning "king", while its Old French cognate, ''rey'' or ''roy'' (modern ''roi''), likewise gave rise to ...

and

Lou Handman Lou Handman (September 10, 1894 – December 9, 1956) was an American composer. Born in New York City, in his early career he toured in vaudeville shows in Australia and New York. Handman worked closely with Roy Turk. They went on to make su ...

in 1926. It was recorded several times in 1927—first by Charles Hart, with successful versions by

Vaughn De Leath Vaughn De Leath (September 26, 1894 – May 28, 1943) was an American female singer who gained popularity in the 1920s, earning the sobriquets "The Original Radio Girl" and the "First Lady of Radio." Although very popular in the 1920s, De Leath is ...

Henry Burr Henry Burr (January 15, 1882 – April 6, 1941) was a Canadian singer, radio performer and producer. He was born Harry Haley McClaskey and used Henry Burr as one of his many pseudonyms, in addition to Irving Gillette, Henry Gillette, Alfred Alex ...

, and the duet of Jerry Macy and John Ryan. In 1950 the

Blue Barron Blue Barron (November 19, 1913 – July 16, 2005), born Harry Freidman, was an American orchestra leader in the 1940s and early 1950s during the Big Band era. His band's more subdued tone was referred to as "Sweet" music to distinguish it from th ...

Orchestra version reached the top twenty on the ''

Billboard's ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

Pop Singles chart The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming in ...

. In April 1960, after

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

's two-year service in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

, he recorded the song at the suggestion of manager

Colonel Tom Parker Thomas Andrew Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk; June 26, 1909 January 21, 1997),

; "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was Parker's wife, Marie Mott's, favorite song. Its release was delayed by RCA Victor executives, who thought the song did not fit Presley's new (and publicized) style. When "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was released in November 1960 it was an immediate success in the U.S., topping ''Billboard's'' Pop Singles chart and reaching number three on the

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

. A month after the song's release, it topped the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. Presley's version was certified by the Recording Industry Association of America for a Gold Record Award for 1,000,000 copies sold in the United States in 1983. It was upgraded by the RIAA to a 2xPlatinum Record Award for 2,000,000 sales in 1992. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was later recorded by several other artists, with versions by Donny Osmond and

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...

becoming top-twenty hits on the pop and country charts respectively. ''Billboard'' ranked "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" number 81 on its "Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs" list in 2008.

Composition and early versions

The song was written in 1926 by

vaudevillians Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

and

with three verses, followed by a spoken

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

. They based the bridge on a line in

Ruggero Leoncavallo Ruggero (or Ruggiero) Leoncavallo ( , , ; 23 April 18579 August 1919) was an Italian opera composer and librettist. Although he produced numerous operas and other songs throughout his career it is his opera '' Pagliacci'' (1892) that remained h ...

's '' Pagliacci'', and "You know someone said that the world's a stage. And each must play a part" refers to "

All the world's a stage "All the world's a stage" is the phrase that begins a monologue from William Shakespeare's pastoral comedy ''As You Like It'', spoken by the melancholy Jaques in Act II Scene VII Line 139. The speech compares the world to a stage and life to a ...

" from

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's '' As You Like It''. This recitation is printed on the inside back cover of the original 1927 sheet music, and is sung on Stanley Kirkby's recording in 1928, Al Jolson's recording in 1949 and Blue Barrron recording in 1950 (US top 20 hit). Billboard reported in 1960 its discovery that it was written by songwriter and vaudeville pianist

Dave Dreyer Dave Dreyer (September 22, 1894 in Brooklyn, New York – March 1, 1967 in New York City) was an American composer and pianist. He started off as a pianist with vaudeville greats such as Al Jolson, Sophie Tucker, Belle Baker, and Frank Fay. ...

. Several versions of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" were recorded in 1927. The first, by Charles Hart, was recorded on May 9 and released on

Harmony Records Harmony Records was a record label owned by Columbia Records that debuted in 1925. History Harmony Records began for low-priced 78 rpm records in the 1920s and 1930s. It was revived for budget albums of reissued tracks in 1957. The revived lab ...

(431-H) as the B-side of "Sweet Marie". On June 13,

recorded the song as the B-side of "It's a Million to One You're in Love" for

Edison Records Edison Records was one of the early record labels that pioneered sound recording and reproduction, and was an important player in the early recording industry. The first phonograph cylinders were manufactured in 1888, followed by Edison's found ...

(Ed-52044). De Leath had the first hit version of the song, which peaked at number four in November. On July 10, 1927, the Newport Society Orchestra recorded the song with Irving Kaufman the vocalist; it was released on Harmony Records (511-H) with "I'm Walkin' On Air". A version by the duet of Jerry Macy and John Ryan was released on Okeh Records (Ok-40866) as the B-side of "Carolina Mine".

's version peaked at number ten, and

Little Jack Little Jack Little (born John Leonard; May 30, 1899 – April 9, 1956), (Another source gives his birth date as May 28, 1902.)DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McF ...

had a hit with the song for Columbia Records. Although

Gene Austin Lemeul Eugene Lucas (June 24, 1900 – January 24, 1972), better known by his stage name Gene Austin, was an American singer and songwriter, one of the early " crooners". His recording of " My Blue Heaven" sold over 5 million copies and was for ...

included the song in his shows during the 1930s, he never recorded it. In March 1950, the Blue Barron Orchestra released "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" with "Penny Wise and Love Foolish" on the B-side, and it peaked at number nineteen on ''

'' Top Pop Singles chart. In April

Don Cornell Don Cornell (born Luigi Francisco Varlaro; April 21, 1919 – February 23, 2004) was an American singer. Early years Born to an Italian family in The Bronx, New York, Cornell attended Roosevelt High School in the Bronx. Career In his teens he pl ...

released a version without the narrative bridge as the B-side of his RCA Victor single, "Stay With the Happy People". ''Billboard'' called it a: "dreamy waltz ... (that) gets effective treatment (on the recording)". Based on votes sent to ''Billboard'', the song received 78 points from

disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...

s, 78 from record dealers, 79 from

jukebox A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media. The classic jukebox has buttons, with letters and numbers on them, which are used to sele ...

operators and 78 points overall; on the magazine's 100-point scale, it was rated "Good".

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

recorded a version with the spoken bridge on April 28, 1950, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

;

Gordon Jenkins Gordon Hill Jenkins (May 12, 1910 – May 1, 1984) was an American arranger, composer, and pianist who was influential in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s. Jenkins worked with The Andrews Sisters, Johnny Cash, The Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Lo ...

conducted the orchestra. With "No Sad Songs For Me" on the B-side, it was released by Decca Records in June. According to ''Billboard'', although the version was "revived" by Jolson's "schmaltz style" his recitation of the bridge was " hamboned". Based on votes sent to the magazine, the song received 71 points from disc jockeys, 71 from record dealers and 71 from jukebox operators; with an overall score of 71, it was rated "Good". In 1958 Jim Flaherty's Western Caravan recorded the song on th
www.frankierecords.com/
label, with B-side My Foolish Heart sung by Maury Dubois. This version with vocals by

Howie Stange Howard Erwin Stange (March 3, 1924 – December 4, 1990) was an American musician, singer and pianist who played Rockabilly and Country music, Country music, possessing a distinctive vocal and playing style. Howie was a musical virtuoso who had ...

gained quite a following in New England, mainly due to Jim Flaherty's tireless promoting. At the November 1959 DJ Convention held in Nashville, Jim Flaherty handed

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music ...

a copy of song with the encouragement of getting "that kid down south (

) who is shaking things up" to record it. In 1959, Jaye P. Morgan released the song on MGM Records, with "Miss You" on the B-side, and her version peaked at number 65 on ''Billboard's'' Pop Singles chart.

Elvis Presley's version

In the final months of his service in the

began experimenting with new material in anticipation of his return to recording. His first recording session was scheduled for March 20, 1960, and RCA's Studio B had recently been equipped with a new three-track recorder. To improve the recording of Presley's voice, engineer Bill Porter had Telefunken U-47 microphones installed. A follow-up session was scheduled for April. During the selection of material for the sessions, Presley's manager,

Colonel Tom Parker Thomas Andrew Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk; June 26, 1909 January 21, 1997),

's act, since he was also managed at the time by her husband), it was the only time he intervened in Presley's choice of repertoire. Presley returned to the studio with his band, consisting of

Scotty Moore Winfield Scott Moore III (December 27, 1931 – June 28, 2016) was an American guitarist who formed The Blue Moon Boys in 1954, Elvis Presley's backing band. He was studio and touring guitarist for Presley between 1954 and 1968. Rock critic ...

, drummer

D. J. Fontana Dominic Joseph Fontana (March 15, 1931 – June 13, 2018) was an American musician best known as the drummer for Elvis Presley for 14 years. In 1955, he was hired to play drums for Presley, which marked the beginning of a 15-year relationshi ...

, pianist

Floyd Cramer Floyd Cramer (October 27, 1933 – December 31, 1997) was an American pianist who became famous for his use of melodic "half step" attacks. He was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His signatu ...

, guitarist

Hank Garland Walter Louis Garland (11 November 1930 – 27 December 2004), professionally Hank Garland, was an American guitarist and songwriter. He started as a country musician, played rock and roll as it became popular in the 1950s, and released a jazz al ...

, bassist Bobby Moore, percussionist

Buddy Harman Murrey Mizell "Buddy" Harman, Jr. (December 23, 1928 – August 21, 2008) was an American country music session musician. Career Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Harman played drums on over 18,000 sessions for artists such as Elvis Presley, Jerry ...

, and

the Jordanaires The Jordanaires were an American vocal quartet that formed as a gospel group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as Capitol Records, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, Decca Records, Vocal ...

, on April 3. After the eight songs Parker needed for '' Elvis Is Back!'' were recorded, Presley moved on to his manager's request. At 4 am on April 4, the singer began recording "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", accompanied by acoustic guitar, drums, bass, and the backup group. He asked everyone else in the studio to leave the session, told

to turn the lights out, and performed the song with the spoken bridge. After the second

take A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production. Film In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup". Takes of each s ...

, Presley said to producer

Steve Sholes Stephen Henry Sholes (February 12, 1911 – April 22, 1968) was a prominent American recording executive with RCA Victor. Career Sholes was born in Washington, D.C. and moved with his family to Merchantville, New Jersey, at the age of nin ...

, "Throw that tune out; I can't do it justice". Sholes told engineer Bill Porter to ignore Presley's order and asked the singer to do a new take, explaining that the Jordanaires had bumped into their microphone stand while recording in the dark. Presley performed the song once more, and that take became the

master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

for the single.

Release and reception

"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was not released for several months while RCA executives decided if the ballad reflected Presley's new style, but they and Parker ultimately decided to release the song. It was released as a single on November 1, 1960, with "I Gotta Know" on the B-side, and pressing was assigned to plants in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, Indianapolis and

. Copies (with a sleeve featuring a smiling Presley in a chartreuse shirt against a blue background) were sent to 5,000 disc jockeys. Orders for the single began at 900,000 copies the first week and climbed to 1,200,000 during the second. The song debuted on ''Billboard's'' Top 40 at number 35 on November 14, moved a week later to number two and topped the chart by November 28 (replacing

Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs were an American doo-wop/ R&B vocal group in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Originally the (Royal) Charms, the band changed its name to the Gladiolas in 1957 and the Excellos in 1958, before finally settling o ...

' "Stay"). Presley's 15th chart-topping single, it held the top position until January 9, 1961. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" peaked at number three on the

, remaining on it for ten weeks. The song topped the ''Cash Box'' singles chart and reached number 45 on the ''Cash Box'' country singles chart. A month after its UK release it topped the

. Three months after its release, the single had sales of two million copies worldwide; that year, the Recording Industry Association of America certified it gold. A November 7, 1960 ''Billboard'' review called Presley's rendition a "warm and touching performance". In a later review,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

praised Presley's vocal range, calling "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" a "tender ... sugary ballad ... full of soul and intense and intimate power" defining "one of Presley's darkest moments".

Legacy

The success of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" made the song one of Presley's live staples. He performed it live for the first time on March 25, 1961, at a Bloch Arena benefit in

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

for the

USS Arizona Memorial The USS ''Arizona'' Memorial, at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and commemorates the events of that day. The ...

, one of Presley's four live performances between his return from the Army and his shift in career focus to acting. Returning to music in 1968, Presley included the song on his playlist for the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

special ''

Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

'' and performed it live the following year during his first

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

engagement. A version of the song, recorded on August 26, 1969, and documenting Presley altering the words of the narration ("Do you gaze at your bald head and wish you had hair") and laughing through the rest of the bridge, was released in 1980 as part of the ''Elvis Aron Presley'' box set. In 1982 this "laughing version" was a radio hit in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and reached number 25 on the British Singles Chart. A very emotional version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was performed and filmed in 1972 at Hampton Roads. This show was filmed for the documentary ''

Elvis On Tour ''Elvis on Tour'' is a 1972 American concert film starring Elvis Presley during his fifteen-city spring tour earlier that year. It is written, produced, directed by Pierre Adidge and Robert Abel and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Follow ...

,'' however the song was not included in that film but released with other outtakes in 1992 on the home video release '' "Elvis- The Lost Performances".'' A version filmed at Elvis' last tour was included in the 1977

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

special ''

Elvis in Concert '' ''Elvis In Concert'' is a posthumous 1977 television special starring Elvis Presley. It was Elvis' third and final TV special, following ''Elvis'' (a.k.a. ''The '68 Comeback Special'') and ''Aloha From Hawaii''. It was filmed during Presley's ...

,'' broadcast after Elvis' death. On March 27, 1992, the RIAA certified "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" double platinum. In 2008 (the 50th anniversary of ''Billboard's'' Hot 100), the song was number 81 on the magazine's "Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs" list.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

;Laughing version

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Later versions

* Frank Sinatra recorded "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" without the spoken bridge for his 1962 album, '' All Alone'', *

The Lettermen The Lettermen are an American male pop vocal trio. The Lettermen's trademark is close-harmony pop songs with light arrangements. The group started in 1959. They have had two Top 10 singles (both No. 7), 16 Top 10 singles on the Adult Contempor ...

included the song on their 1964 album ''She Cried''. *

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

recorded a version (also without the spoken bridge) in 1966 for his album, ''Memories''. * Doris Day recorded the song on June 6, 1967, for '' The Love Album''. * Donny Osmond's 1973 version is a B-side to his recording of fellow pop standard "

When I Fall in Love "When I Fall in Love" is a popular song, written by Victor Young (music) and Edward Heyman (lyrics). It was introduced in the film ''One Minute to Zero'' as the instrumental titled "Theme from One Minute to Zero". Jeri Southern sang on the firs ...

". *

's cover on his 1977 album '' My Farewell to Elvis'' peaked at number 12 on ''Billboard's'' Top Country Singles. * John Schneider released a version in 1983 which peaked at number 53 on the Country Singles chart. *

Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry CBE (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established a distinctive image and sartorial style: according to ''The Independent'', Ferry an ...

's version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was part of the soundtrack for 1992's ''

Honeymoon in Vegas ''Honeymoon in Vegas'' is a 1992 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Andrew Bergman and starring James Caan, Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker. Plot Private Detective ("Private eye") Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) swore to hi ...

''.

In popular culture

*In the

Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (abbreviated to ZAZ) were an American comedy filmmaking trio consisting of Jim Abrahams and brothers David and Jerry Zucker who specialized in writing slapstick comedy films during the 1980s. History David Zucker, J ...

comedy film ''

Top Secret! ''Top Secret!'' is a 1984 American action comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker ( ZAZ). It stars Val Kilmer (in his film debut role) and Lucy Gutteridge alongside a supporting cast featuring Omar Shari ...

'', musician Nick Rivers (

Val Kilmer Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with ''Top Secret!'' (1984) and ''Real Genius'' (1985), as well as the military action film ...

) performs a version of the song with a guitar. Though it begins with a conventional sound, it quickly turns into a parody that acts as an advertising jingle for the retailer chain

Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...

("''...is your heart filled with pain / will you come back again / shop at Macy's and love me tonight.''"). *Comedian

Sam Kinison Samuel Burl Kinison ( ; December 8, 1953 – April 10, 1992) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. A former Pentecostal preacher, he performed stand-up routines that were characterized by intense sudden tirades, punctuated with his distinc ...

performed the song several times in various talk show appearances, including a memorable 1989 performance on

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...

. Kinison begins by singing a straight, serious cover of the song before descending into angry ranting during the spoken bridge, punctuated by his trademark scream, before suddenly returning to a serious cover again at the song's conclusion. *The Presley version was used in the classic film

A Brighter Summer Day ''A Brighter Summer Day'' is a 1991 Taiwanese epic teen crime drama film directed by Edward Yang, associated with the "New Taiwanese Cinema." The English title is derived from the lyrics of Elvis Presley's " Are You Lonesome Tonight?". The film ...

Edward Yang Edward Yang (; November 6, 1947 – June 29, 2007) was a Taiwanese filmmaker. Yang, along with fellow auteurs Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang, was one of the leading film-makers of the Taiwanese New Wave and Taiwanese cinema. He won the B ...

, which was rated the twelfth-best Chinese-language film of all time by the

24th Hong Kong Film Awards The 24th Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony was held on 27 March 2005, in the Hong Kong Coliseum and hosted by Carol Cheng and Lawrence Cheng. Twenty-nine winners in nineteen categories were unveiled, with films ''Kung Fu Hustle'' and ''2046'' being th ...

in 2005. The title of the film comes from a ( misheard) lyric in the Presley recording.

Chart performance

References

;Sources * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{authority control 1926 songs 1927 singles 1950 singles 1960 singles Elvis Presley songs The Lettermen songs Al Jolson songs Donny Osmond songs John Schneider (screen actor) songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in Belgium Number-one singles in Canada Number-one singles in South Africa Number-one singles in Spain UK Singles Chart number-one singles Songs with lyrics by Roy Turk Music published by Bourne Co. Music Publishers Helen Shapiro songs RCA Victor singles Pop ballads Torch songs Frank Sinatra songs Okeh Records singles Songs with music by Lou Handman