ELVIS – "IT HURTS ME" A JEWEL IN THE DARK

ELVIS ARTICLE – HISTORY

The song “It Hurts Me“. It was recorded by Elvis on January 12, 1964 at Studio B in Nashville.

It was done in five takes, and was released as a single in February 1964.

It was composed by Joy Byers and Charlie E. Daniels.

Songwriter Joy Bayers was married to record producer Bob Johnston. In later years, Johnston claimed that some songs credited to his wife, Joy Byers, were actually co-written or written by him.

After this recording session, Elvis recorded nothing but movie soundtracks, mostly in Hollywood, for the next two years. Dissatisfied with his professional and personal life, he did not venture to record in Nashville studios, until finally deciding to return to the studio with new musicians and a new producer, Felton Jarvis, in May of 1966.

“It Hurts Me” is a wonderful song, which never became well known, nor did it reach the prestige and recognition it deserved.

Elvis’ interpretation is sensitive, delicate and masterful. This is another of those great ballads that Elvis makes completely his own and turns it into a work of art. Elvis’s voice adds great drama to the sad lyrics.

A magnificent song that had more than enough merits to be released as the A-side of a single, but its first release was made, very unfairly, as the B-side of Kissin’ Cousins.

Elvis re-recorded it on June 20/21, 1968 at the recording sessions for NBC’s “Elvis TV Comeback Special“. And, in my opinion, it was treated unfairly again, since Elvis had to sing it in a fight scene, which you can see in the following link:

???

Before Christmas 1962, while one of its songwriters, Charlie Daniels, was driving from El Paso, Texas, to the East Coast, the inspiration for this song began to come to him.

Daniels explained that Elvis’ production company, “Hill and Range” picked up the “demo” of the song and kept it for almost a year in their portfolio of songs. They would choose the songs for Elvis and when Elvis would go into the recording studio, he would review them, and if he liked them, he would record them. And that’s how Elvis chose “It Hurts Me.”

Although he never met Elvis, Daniels met his daughter, Lisa Marie, may he rest in peace, at an event in Memphis. And he said to Lisa: ”You know that your dad chose and sang one of my songs. I was a big fan of his.” And know? … It was by far the biggest thing that happened to me in my life…“

Joy Byers was also very proud that Elvis had sung her songs and stated on one occasion:

“It’s exciting to have had a bunch of songs recorded by Elvis. Can you imagine getting lucky on something like that? I was a housewife in the 1950s, living in a lower-middle-class neighborhood, and the next thing I know, I’m writing songs for Elvis Presley. I was excited, just excited.”

An incredibly beautiful song, heartfelt and painful, of a yearned for love, and sadly unrequited, because she loves another man. An authentic jewel in the voice of Elvis, in which words are superfluous, but who, we will never know why, remained too little promoted in his discography…