♫ Can’t Help Falling In Love ♫

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Most of you know that I am not a huge Elvis fan … I always thought him to be a bit pompous, a bit too much of a showman.  That said, though I may not have cared for his public persona, he had a magnificent voice, and he did a handful of songs that I truly love … In the Ghetto is my #1 favourite, Suspicious Minds is another, and this one is somewhere in the lineup, maybe #3 or #4.

This was featured in the 1961 Elvis movie Blue Hawaii. It was written by the songwriter George Weiss, who claimed that neither the movie producers nor Elvis’ associates liked the song demo, but Elvis insisted on recording this song for the movie. Weiss, who died in 2010 at age 89, was a military bandleader in World War II.

This was Elvis’ most popular and famous “love song,” but it was not sung to his love interest in Blue Hawaii – It was sung to his grandmother on the occasion of her birthday. Elvis presented her with a music box, which she opened and it played the song, which Elvis then sang along with.

The melody is based on a French song called Plaisir D’Amour, which was penned in 1784 by a German with an Italian name, Jean-Paul Egide-Martini.  

Hal Blaine played drums on this. He became one of the most successful session drummers of all time, playing on hits by The Beach Boys, The Association, Sam Cooke, Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, and many others. He entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.  George Weiss was a prolific songwriter in the ’40s, ’50s ’60s and ’70s. Among the string of hits he penned in addition to this song were What a Wonderful World (one of my all-time favourites!) recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1967, The Stylistics 1975 UK chart-topper Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love), and The Lion Sleeps Tonight, a reworking of a South African Zulu song recorded by The Tokens in 1961.

The song hit #1 in the UK, #2 in the U.S., and #4 in Canada, and charted in a number of other countries.

Can’t Help Falling in Love
Song by Elvis Presley

Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can’t help falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can’t help falling in love with you?

Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be

Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can’t help falling in love with you

Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be

Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can’t help falling in love with you
For I can’t help falling in love with you

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: George David Weiss / Hugo E. Peretti / Luigi Creatore
Can’t Help Falling in Love lyrics © Raleigh Music Publishing

18 thoughts on “♫ Can’t Help Falling In Love ♫”

  2. I wasn’t an Elvis fan either: he was someone the girls drooled over and by the time I got interested in music he was making what I saw as soppy records! I agree on your top two of his, though I’d switch them round. I first knew of this song from the Andy Williams version, which was a real turn off for a teenage lad.

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    • Unlike many girls my age back then, I wasn’t drooling over him, but found him rather … too much. John provided some information tonight that I wasn’t aware of, and that gave me a new respect for Elvis, but I can still do without all the gyrations and innuendos! David also mentioned the Andy Williams version, of which I was unaware … should have done a bit more research on this one!

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        • Well, naturally your comment made me more determined than ever to check out the Andy Williams version, which I did just a few minutes ago. Um … I’m afraid I have to agree with you … it didn’t quite even sound like the same song. I’ll stick with Michael for this one.

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  3. I like this song. I also like Elvis for a number of reasons 1. He took care of his mom and dad. 2. He served this country honorably without pulling any strings. 3. He was a patriot and the single largest taxpayer in 1973. He took no deductions and paid more than his fair share for years. His public persona was directed by Colonial Parker.

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    • I’m so glad you liked it … and what a wonderful memory, rocking the kids in the glider and singing to them. Whenever I sang to my kids, they cried … they still do, and the cats howl! 😉

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    • I didn’t realize there was an Andy Williams version! Guess I didn’t do my homework on this one, but I still would likely have gone with Elvis’. PJ Proby, whom I had never heard until a few years ago when you mentinoed him, does definitely have a beautiful voice.
      Cwtch

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      • I doubt that. More likely brain mush from the past four years. 🙄That one gives me hope and makes me sad as well. The biggest disappointment to me about this Christmas is that every year I look forward to hearts being a bit lighter and people finding a way to be a little kinder around the holidays. This year feels like an emotional gip in that regard. Still, there things to be thankful for and to celebrate. This year his song could well be “Why Can’t This Christmas Be Like Christmas?”☹️❤️

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        • Brain mush … yes, that’s exactly it!!! I agree with you about this year, but I think that right now we just have to turn our sights inward and focus on the small things … being thankful for our family, our well-being, that we can afford to put food on the table. That’s what I’m trying to do … just be thankful for what is, and I’ll worry about the world after Christmas, for right now my family needs me to be in the moment for them, and so does yours. Sigh.

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