The theme song to the first of thirty-one movies in which he would star, this ballad was based on a folk song from the Civil War and continued the King's sixteen week reign at the top of the charts. Elvis Presley received a songwriting credit as part of his publishing agreement, in exchange for his recording the song. Ken Darby said that he put his wife Vera Matson as the other name, "Because she didn't write it either." Darby had adapted the tune from 'Aura Lee', which was originally published in 1861 with music by George R. Poulton and words by W.W. Fosdick. Presley did his own arrangement and directed the production of the song at RCA studios. He had performed the song live on The Ed Sullivan Show, leading to one million advance orders and making 'Love Me Tender' a gold record before it was released. The movie was originally called 'The Reno Brothers' but 20th Century Fox changed it to 'Love Me Tender' to make the most of the demand. 'Love Me Tender' unseated his own 'Hound Dog / Don't Be Cruel' single as the new number one song; he was the first artist to do so. It spent five weeks at number one, added to the eleven weeks that 'Hound Dog' and 'Don't Be Cruel' spent there, making a record of sixteen weeks that stood until it was tied by Boyz II Men in 1994 and broken by Usher in 2004.
Love me tender, love me sweet
Never let me go
You have made my life complete
And I love you so
Love me tender, love me true
All my dreams fulfill
For, my darling I love you
And I always will.
Love me tender, love me dear
Tell me you are mine
I'll be yours through all the years
'Till the end of time
Love me tender, love me true
All my dreams fulfill
For, my darling I love you
And I always will
Love me tender, love me true
All my dreams fulfill
For, my darling I love you
And I always will
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