“SOFTLY, AS I LEAVE YOU”
By Rosa García Mora
It is a popular Italian song, originally titled “Piano”, composed by Tony De Vita, with Italian lyrics by Giorgio Calabrese, translated into English by Hal Shaper.
Officially recorded by Elvis, on August 16, 1974, at the RCA Studios in Hollywood (Studio Rehearsal).
And later, on Saturday, December 13, 1975 at the Las Vegas Hilton, during the Midnight Show, also on RCA.
When Elvis performed this song on stage, he preceded it with a story about the song’s origin. He said that the song came about when a man was on his deathbed and his wife was sitting next to his hospital bed. When she began to fall asleep, he felt like she was going to die and wrote the lyrics of the song to her on a notepad. However, it is said that the story of the song was simply an example of the talent, taste and creativity that Elvis had in telling stories, so it is very likely that his explanation is merely apocryphal. Elvis told his audience that he heard the story from some people in Florida.
Elvis never sang this song, just a couple of phrases at Stax studios, before starting the song Loving Arms; He alone recited it. Perhaps the pain he felt before her prevented her voice from leaving his throat and drowned out her singing. For this reason he left this task to his beloved Serrill Nielsen and Elvis, with his prodigious voice, recited the verses. But that recitation was so heartfelt that singing was not necessary. His interpretation gave rise only to the feeling of his suffering and afflicted soul.
Perhaps fear of death, perhaps fear of life, perhaps fear of losing what we have never had, of that life that was suffocating him; and that became reality and love when he went on stage.
Elvis throughout his career left us his voice in the form of singing, reciting, laughing or lamenting. In this song he left us in his verses the affliction of man, the poetry of the artist… and the voice of God.
Article written and provided by Rosa García Mora
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