Elvis Presley LyricsA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V X W Y Z

Don't Cry Daddy

Words & Music by Mac Davis

Today I stumbled from my bed
With thunder crashing in my head
My pillow still wet
From last night tears
And as I think of giving up
A voice inside my coffee-cup
Kept crying but
And ringing in my ears

Don't cry daddy
Daddy, please don't cry
Daddy, you've still got me and little Tommy
Together we'll find a brand new mommy
Daddy, daddy, please laugh again
Daddy ride us on your back again
Oh, daddy, please don't cry

Why are children always first
To feel the pain and hurt the worst
It's true, but somehow
It just don't seem right
'Cause ev'ry time I cry I know
It hurts my little children so
I wonder will it be the same tonight

Don't cry daddy
Daddy, please don't cry
Daddy, you've still got me and little Tommy
Together we'll find a brand new mommy
Daddy, daddy, please laugh again
Daddy ride us on your back again
Oh, daddy, please don't cry
Oh, daddy, please don't cry

Recorded: 1969/01/15, first released on single

1969

From Elvis In Memphis LP 1969
Elvis Back In Memphis LP
Elvis Presley 1969

Elvis has been doing all of his recording work in Nashville or Hollywood since signing with RCA. But, now he records in Memphis again for the first time since 1955. He has all-night marathon sessions at American Sound Studio.

His work here will become regarded as some of the finest music of his career, his best work since the innovative days at Sam Phillip's Sun Records and the exciting early days at RCA before he went into the army.

Inspired and invigorated by the success of his television special, Elvis walked through the door of the tiny American Sound Studios in Memphis in January 1969 to make quality music that would garner him hit records. Elvis had not recorded in his hometown since he left Sun in 1955, but the musical atmosphere at RCA's Nashville studios had become stale.

His friends and associates encouraged him to record at American Sound because Nashville would yield nothing for him at this time.

American Sound Studios, a small studio in a rundown neighborhood, was operated by Chips Moman. With Moman as producer, Elvis worked hard to record his first significant mainstream album in years.

In retrospect, From Elvis in Memphis may be his most important album because it brought his recording career back from soundtrack purgatory and set a creative standard for the next few years.

Elvis has excellent material to choose from and pours his heart and soul into the sessions. He works with a lot of top-notch Memphis musicians. The sound is fresh and gutsy. On every track one can sense his creative excitement and energy. This is joyful work after years of movie boredom.

Two albums albums From Elvis In Memphis & Back In Memphis will result from these sessions. The sessions will also yield four hit singles to be released starting later this year - 1969 - and going into 1970: 'In the Ghetto', 'Suspicious Minds', 'Don't Cry, Daddy' and 'Kentucky Rain'.

Review - Elvis: Vegas '69 Hardcover Book
Review: From Elvis In Memphis : 40th Anniversary Legacy Edition

January 13, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

Long Black Limousine XPA5 1142-09
This Is The Story XPA5 1143-02

January 14, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

Come Out Come Out (Wherever You Are) (Fast - Track) XPA5 1144-02
Memory Revival (Slow - Track) XPA5 1144-04
Wearin' That Loved On Look XPA5 1145-15
You'll Think Of Me XPA5 1146-23
A Little Bit Of Green XPA5 1148-03

January 15, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

Gentle On My Mind XPA5 1155-NA
I'm Movin' On XPA5 1147-02
Don't Cry Daddy (Track) XPA5 1149-03
Poor Man's Gold (Track) XPA5 1150-12

January 16, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

Inherit The Wind (Track) XPA5 1151-04
Mama Liked The Roses (Track) XPA5 1152-04
My Little Friend (Track) XPA5 1153-08

January 20, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

Gentle On My Mind (Vocal Replacement) XPA5 1155-NA
Gentle On My Mind (Harmony Vocal Overdub) XPA5 1155-NA
Rubberneckin' XPA5 1156-02

January 21, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

In The Ghetto XPA5 1154-23
My Little Friend (Vocal Overdub) XPA5 1153-NA
Inherit The Wind (Vocal Overdub) XPA5 1151-NA
Mama Liked The Roses (Vocal Overdub) XPA5 1152-NA
Mama Liked The Roses (Harmony - Vocal Overdub) XPA5 1152-NA
I'm Movin' On (Vocal Replacement) XPA5 1147-NA
Long Black Limousine (Vocal Repair) XPA5 1142-NA
Don't Cry Daddy (Vocal Overdub) XPA5 1149-NA
Don't Cry Daddy (Harmony - Vocal Overdub) XPA5 1149-NA
Poor Man's Gold (Vocal Overdub) XPA5 1150-01
Wearin' That Loved On Look (Vocal Repair) XPA5 1145-NA
You'll Think Of Me (Vocal Replacement) XPA5 1146-NA
This Is The Story (Vocal Replacement) XPA5 1143-NA
From A Jack To A King XPA5 1158-05

Elvis Presley at American Studios 1969

January 22, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

Hey Jude XPA5 1157-07
In The Ghetto (Vocal Replacement) XPA5 1154-NA

January 23, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

Without Love XPA5 1159-05
I'll Hold You In My Heart XPA5 1160-01
I'll Be There XPA5 1161-03
Suspicious Minds XPA5 1227-08
Suspicious Minds (Harmony - Vocal Overdub) XPA5 1227-NA

February 17, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

Stranger In My Own Home Town XPA5 1266-01
True Love Travels On A Gravel Road XPA5 1265-03
This Time / I Can't Stop Loving You (Informal Jam) WPA5 2513-01
True Love Travels On A Gravel Road XPA5 1265-11

February 18, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind XPA5 1267-06
Power Of My Love XPA5 1268-07
After Loving You XPA5 1269-04

February 19, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

Do You Know Who I Am? XPA5 1270-07
Do You Know Who I Am? (Vocal Repair) XPA5 1270-NA
Kentucky Rain XPA5 1271-NA
Kentucky Rain (Remake) XPA5 1271-10

February 20, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

Only The Strong Survive XPA5 1272-29
It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin' XPA5 1273-03

February 21, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

Any Day Now XPA5 1274-06
If I'm A Fool (For Loving You) XPA5 1275-09
The Fair Is Moving On XPA5 1276-NA
Memory Revival (Fast - Track) XPA5 1277-NA

February 22, 1969 American Sound - Memphis, Tennessee

Any Day Now (Vocal Repair) XPA5 1274-NA
True Love Travels On A Gravel Road (Harmony - V.O.) XPA5 1265-NA
Power Of My Love (Harmony - Vocal Overdub) XPA5 1268-NA
Do You Know Who I Am? (Harmony - Vocal Overdub) XPA5 1270-NA
Who Am I? XPA5 1278-01

March 5, 1969 Decca Universal Studio - Universal City, California

March 5, Elvis returns to Hollywood to film and record the soundtrack music for his thirty-first, and what will turn out to be his last, acting role in a motion picture. It is Change of Habit, co-starring Mary Tyler Moore. Elvis plays a hip ghetto doctor in a Northern city, having come from Tennessee. Mary Tyler Moore and two others play nuns who go 'undercover' into the ghetto to assist with health and societal troubles in the community. The theme, though serious and timely, is not particularly well carried out by the script in the opinion of many, and the title is frivolous. But, Elvis looks magnificent, and gives a natural, easy, understated performance that is a refreshing pleasure to see after the silliness he endured in his films through most of the sixties. The few songs in the movie are good and they're performed in natural, rather than the usual badly contrived, situations.

Let Us Pray (Track) ____-NA
Change Of Habit ZPA4 1058-06
Let's Be Friends ____-03
Let's Be Friends (Work Part - Ending) ____-NA
Let's Be Friends (Composite) ZPA4 1057-SP
Have A Happy (Track) ____-NA

March 6, 1969 Decca Universal Studio - Universal City, California

Let Us Pray (Vocal Overdub) ____-08
Have A Happy (Vocal Overdub) ZPA4 1056-07

March, 1969, Charro! opens in theaters and doesn't do much at the box office.

September 26, 1969 RCA Studio A - Nashville, Tennessee

Let Us Pray (Vocal Replacement) ZPA4 1957-05
A Little Bit Of Green (Vocal Replacement) XPA5 1148-NA
A Little Bit Of Green (Harmony - Vocal Overdub) XPA5 1148-NA
And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind (Vocal Replacement) XPA5 1267-NA

International. Hotel, Las Vegas, Nv July 1969

Starting July 31, Elvis is booked for a four-week, fifty-seven show engagement at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, which has just been built and has the largest showroom in the city. Elvis puts together top-notch rock and roll musicians, an orchestra, a male gospel back-up group, and a black female soul/gospel back-up group for his show. They rehearse for several weeks and open on July 31, 1969. The show is a delightful mix of fresh arrangements of classic Elvis hits, exciting new material he has recorded, a few covers of current and past hits of other artists, and charming on-stage antics and sharing of personal recollections of his career. A press conference follows the first of his two opening night shows.

This engagement breaks all existing Las Vegas attendance records and attracts rave reviews from the public and the critics. It is a triumph. Elvis' first live album, Elvis in Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, is recorded during this engagement and is soon released. For these shows a lean Elvis in top physical form, wears simple, unique, karate-inspired two-piece outfits in black or white. These are designed by Bill Belew, who did the wardrobe for the ‘68 special. These are the predecessors to the famous one-piece jumpsuits which will be simple at first, then become flashier and more elaborate over the years.

Elvis and Priscilla Presley at Barbra Streisand's Concert - 1969

Review - Elvis: Vegas '69 Hardcover Book
Review: From Elvis In Memphis : 40th Anniversary Legacy Edition - 2 CD Set
Reinventing Elvis: The American Sound Studios Sessions