ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT?
(Roy Turk / Lou Handman)
Charles Hart - 1927
Ned Jakobs - 1927
Vaughn Deleath - 1927
Henry Burr - 1927
Edythe & Lou Handman - 1927
The Colonial Club Orch. (vocal: Vaughn Deleath) - 1927
The Carter Family - 1935
Blue Barron & His Orch. (vocal: Bobby Beers & The Blue Notes -
- Narration: John McCormick) - 1950
Al Jolson - 1950
Jaye P. Morgan - 1959
Elvis Presley - 1960
Homer & Jethro - 1961
Frank Sinatra - 1962
Helen Shapiro - 1962
The Lettermen - 1964
Pat Boone - 1966
Doris Day - 1967
Donny Osmond - 1974
Jeannie C. Riley - 1977
Merle Haggard - 1977
John Schneider & Jill Michaels - 1983
The New Ink Spots - 1988
Leon Redbone - 1988
The Mavericks - 1999
Anne Murray - 2002
Barry Manilow - 2005
Lorrie Morgan - 2009
Also recorded by:
Engelbert Humperdinck; Countdown Singers; André Rieu;
Moms & Dads; Vera Lynn; Fausto Papetti; Brian Hyland;
Ray Conniff; Helmut Lotti; Dottie West; Max Bygraves;
Jaye P. Morgan; Marty Wilde; Ray Conniff; Ray Martin;
Bryan Ferry; Pat Kelly; Frank Fontaine; Ian Whitcomb;
Connie Francis; Don Gibson; Ken Griffin; Jordanaires;
Don Cornell; Foster & Allen; Tiny Tim; Lawrence Welk;
Ray Anthony; Sonny James; Billy J. Kramer; Al Martino;
Roger Whittaker; Eden Kane; Ray Conniff; Helmut Lotti;
Tony Scott ............ and many others.
As recorded by ELVIS PRESLEY:
Are you lonesome tonight
Do you miss me tonight
Are you sorry
We drifted apart
Does your memory stray
To a bright summer day
When I kissed you
And called you sweetheart
Do the chairs in your parlour
Seem empty and bare
Do you gaze at your doorstep
And picture me there
Is your heart filled with pain
Shall I come back again
Tell me dear
Are you lonesome tonight
NARRATION:
"I wonder if you're lonesome tonight
You know someone said the worlds a stage
And each must play a part
Fate had me playing in love with you as my sweetheart
Act One was when we met, I loved you at first glance
You read your lines so cleverly and never missed a cue
Then came Act Two
You seemed to change, you acted strange
And why I've never known
Honey, you lied when you said you loved me
And I had no cause to doubt you
But I'd rather go on hearing your lies
Than to go on living without you
Now the stage is bare and I'm standing there
With emptiness all around
And if you won't come back to me
Then they can bring the curtain down"
Is your heart filled with pain
Shall I come back again
Tell me dear
Are you lonesome tonight
NB: The narration did not form part of the original lyrics.
It was popularised in the 1950 version by Blue Barron and
his Orchestra, spoken by John McCormick.
Elvis Presley, who had a liking for song narrations, used
it in his famous 1960 recording of the song.
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Narration as recorded by JOHN McCORMACK
with Blue Barron & His Orchestra:
I wonder if you're lonesome tonight
You know someone said the world's a stage
And each must play a part
Fate had me play a lover, with you as my sweetheart
Act One was where we met, I loved you at first glance
You read your lines so cleverly and never missed a cue
Then came Act Two
And you seemed to change, you acted strange
Why I've never known
Then came the day you went away
And left me all alone
Did you lie when you said you loved me
I had no cause to doubt you
For I'd rather go on hearing your lies
Than to go on living without you
The stage is bare and I'm standing there
In the part of a broken heart
And if you won't come back to me
Then they can bring the curtain down
************
Parody version as recorded by HOMER & JETHRO:
Are you lonesome tonight? If you are, serves you right
I'm so happy you left me at last
I can still hear you roar, "Make the beds, mop the floor,
Do the laundry and then mow the grass"
You took me for a boat ride, I had to swim back
Darling, I thought I'd never get out of that sack
Should you fly back again, park your broom and come in
Darling, that's why you're lonesome tonight
SPOKEN:
JETHRO: Shortspeare once said, "All the world's a stage." It ain't much of a
line, but if it's good enough for Elvis, it's good enough for us. Act One
FEMALE VOICE: You took me home to meet your folks, and I can still hear your
father whispering, "Son, that gal's cross-eyed, knock-kneed, strange-headed,
buck-toothed." And all you said was
HOMER: Aw, paw, you don't have to whisper. She's deaf, too.
JETHRO: Act Two
FEMALE: Our engagement lasted ten years 'cause I wouldn't marry you when you was
drunk
HOMER: Yeah, an' I wouldn't marry you when I was sober
JETHRO: Act Three
FEMALE: Only romantic thing you ever said to me was that I creeped into your
heart, an' I creeped into your brain, creeped into your mind
HOMER: No, all I ever said was that you was the biggest creep I'd ever seen
JETHRO: Act Four
FEMALE: We finally settled down in our little honeymoon cottage an' ever' Friday
night, our friends an' neighbours would come over to watch the fight.
HOMER: Yeah, and we didn't even have a TV set, but we had a fight ever' Friday.
One night I blacked your eyes, broke your nose an' knocked your teeth out. An'
you got chicken an' called the cops
FEMALE: You told 'em not to believe a word I said 'cause I's punch-drunk
So I'll miss you, my pet
Every chance that I get
Darling, that's why you're lonesome tonight
(But I won't be fer long)
************
As recorded by THE CARTER FAMILY:
Are you lonesome tonight, do you miss me, I say
Are you sorry we drifted apart
Does your memories cling to that bright summer day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart
Like the rose on the vine I am clinging to you
As I did when we drifted apart
I am wishing you back to that little shack
Where I kissed you and called you sweetheart
Does the chair in your parlour seem empty and bare
Do you miss me and wish I was there
Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again
Tell me, darling, are you lonesome tonight
Are you lonesome tonight, do you miss me, I say
Are you sorry we drifted apart
Does your memories cling to that bright summer day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart
I have counted the days, I've counted the nights
I've counted the months and the years
I have counted on you since we've drifted apart
Tell me, darling, are you lonesome tonight
Are you lonesome tonight, do you miss me, I say
Are you sorry we drifted apart
Does your memories cling to that bright summer day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - May 2012)
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Introductory verse as recorded by HENRY BURR,
VERA LYNN and others:
Tonight I'm downhearted
For though we have parted
I love you and I always will
And while I'm so lonely
I'm writing you only
To see if you care for me still
(Transcribed by Peter Akers - May 2011)
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