Are you lonesome tonight,
Do you miss me tonight?
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?
Do the chairs in your parlor 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?

I wonder if you're lonesome tonight
You know someone said that the world's a stage
And each must play a part.
Fate had me playing in love you as my sweet heart.
Act one was when we met, I loved you at first glance
You read your line so cleverly and never missed a cue
Then came act two, you seemed to change and you acted strange
And why I'll never know.
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 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 make them bring the curtain down.

Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?

RCA 47-7810, 1960, Are You Lonesome Tonight? / I Gotta Know

RCA Studios, Nashville, April 4, 1960

Are You Lonesome Tonight was written by Roy Turk and Lou Handman in 1926. In 1927 Al Jolson had the first recording of the song, followed closely by popular versions by Vaughn Deleath (Edison 52044) and Henry Burr (Victor 20873). Other recordings of Are You Lonesome Tonight over the years include those by the Blue Barron Orchestra (MGM 10628) in 1950, Jaye P. Morgan (MGM 12752) in 1959, and Donny Osmond (MGM 14677) in 1974. Other than Elvis's recording, Donny Osmond's reached the highest on Billboard's Hot 100 chart - #14.

Elvis recorded Are You Lonesome Tonight on April 4, 1960, at RCA's Nashville studios. Reportedly, it was the only song that Colonel Tom Parker ever urged Elvis to record. Elvis copied his vocal phrasing from the Blue Barron Ochestra's version. The long spoken passage was loosely based on Jacques's speech in Act II, Scene VII of Shakespeare's As You Like It. The master is a splice of two or more takes. Are You Lonesome Tonight entered Billboard's Hot 100 chart at #35. The second week, it was #2 - the biggest one-week jump within the Top 40 in history. By the third week, Are You Lonesome Tonight had replaced Stay by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs at number one, where it stayed for six weeks. In January 1961, Bert Kaempfert's Wonderland By Night took over the top spot. Are You Lonesome Tongiht had a total stay in the Hot 100 of 16 weeks. It reached #22 on the country chart and #3 on the rhythm & blues chart. Elvis wouldn't have another song on the country chart until 1968. In England, Are You Lonesome Tonight was number one for four weeks. Worldwide sales have been estimated at four million copies. Elvis received three Grammy Award nominations for Are You Lonesome Tonight - Record of the Year; Best Vocal Performance, Male; and Best Performance by a Pop Singles Artist - but didn't wine one.

An August 26, 1969, performance of Are You Lonesome Tonight at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in which Elvis messed up the lyrics and laughed uncontrollably was released in 1982 in England. That version was released in the United States in 1983 on the Elvis - A Legendary Performer, Volume 4 LP and on numerous bootlegs.