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Always on My Mind

Rating:
4.6 / 5

Words & Music: John Christopher Mark James Wayne Carson

Maybe I didn't treat you
Quite as good as I should have
Maybe I didn't love you
Quite as often as I could have
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time

You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind

Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me, give me one more chance
To keep you satisfied, satisfied

Maybe I didn't hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I never told you
I'm so happy that you're mine
If I make you feel second best
Girl, I'm sorry I was blind

You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind

Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me, give me one more chance
To keep you satisfied, satisfied

Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
You were always on my mind
You are always on my mind
You are always on my mind

Recordingdate: 1972/03/29, first released on: single (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Always on My Mind:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(percussion)

Others*

(steel guitar)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(tuba)

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with Always on My Mind.

JerryNodak wrote on April 18, 2008
Prefer Willie Nelson's version.
Jerome wrote on June 16, 2008
beautiful song. will probably also get a remix one of these days..
marco31768 wrote on December 08, 2008
The greatest ELvis' love song ! I love the "This is Elvis" overdubbed version !!!
My boy, my boy wrote on January 18, 2009
Very beautiful melody and lyrics...Elvis's version is amazing but Willie Nelson's is more moving !
Natha wrote on January 18, 2009
Great song, hence it seems to be regularly on my mind. Most people I know love this song and associate it with Elvis. And right so! One of his top love songs.
elviskid80 wrote on January 18, 2009
For Me Theres Only One Version And Its Elvis. Elvis Sang It With True Emotion One Of His Best Love Songs Ever. TCB
FLASHBOY wrote on January 18, 2009
Really don't care about Willie Nelson version .......yeah i know he has the original But for me The Presley version is the best i ever heard almost everybody i know related this song to Elvis. Willie Nelson is an amazing song writter nobody can argue with that but when it comes to performing it it belong to Elvis.
JLpResLey wrote on January 18, 2009
I love it too. The rehearsal version from Elvis on tour is really my favorite version of the song. A pity he didn´t sing it live on stage in the seventies. Maybe he did that once or twice, but it can´t have been that common. Imagine if he had sung this on the Aloha show. Would have been great
GEORGE (GK) wrote on January 18, 2009
A "B" side to the single "Seperate Ways" by Elvis. Its a shame the "B" side never got any airplay when it was released in 1972. "Always on my Mind" as everyone knows, was later covered by Willie Nelson.. and he took it to the Top of the charts. As far as the Elvis' version goes. Its done with "passion" and sung well. I really like the "strings" overdubbed version, the best !! from the deleted "Always on my Mind CD" which, was released in the 80s.
Marty_TCE wrote on January 18, 2009
Wow.
Jim says hello wrote on January 18, 2009
Willie Nelson's version makes my skin crawl. And he wasn't the writer either. Elvis' was the original and one of my all time favourites... much more worthy of a Grammy than Willy's. Boy was Elvis stitched up at Grammy's time... should have a roomful.
Steve V wrote on January 18, 2009
Most people generally associate this song with Willie Nelson, not Elvis since Willie had a # 1 hit with it and Elvis' was tucked away on the B side. That said, this could have been a monster hit by Elvis with proper airplay. He sings it better than Willie, but the Willie Nelson arrangement has Elvis beat by a mile. Nice & simple. As usual the Elvis arrangement has too much going on, as usual the problem with the 70's
dgirl wrote on January 18, 2009
Elvis was riding high in 1972 with the success of Burning Love. What does RCA do? Release Separare Ways as the next A side, not a good choice. This song is so much better and could have produced another top ten hit. Buried on the B side, most people dont even know this as an Elvis song and totally associate it with Willie who did a pretty good job with it despite what people say here.
Rob Wanders wrote on January 18, 2009
beautiful song. I love Elvis' version but I also love Willie's version. Willie's version is more naked. Elvis'version is more bombastic. Two different personalities with a lot of respect for each other.
mypoint wrote on January 18, 2009
Willie Nelson Not Only Did Not Write This Song, But Recorded Long After Elvis' Passing. Elvis' Version Is More Powerful & It's A Shame It Was A B Side Release Instead Of Its Own Single.
Master Fatman wrote on January 18, 2009
Very beatiful song, with a cathing refren. Perhaps Elvis most personal song... 5 ***** :-)
old shep wrote on January 18, 2009
The song was originally recorded by Brenda Lee and appeared in the American country charts barely making the top 50. Elvis' version was released a few months later. It was a hit in the UK in its year of release 1972. Of all the versions I have heard over the years Elvis' still remains my favourite and I found it difficult to understand how the Willie Nelson version became so popular.
NONE000000 wrote on January 19, 2009
One of his best 1970s ballads, especially love the version with strings overdubbed. Willie Nelson sang this way waaaay after Elvis did and was NOT the writer of the song. I can't stand Willie's nasal whiny version of it. I even prefer the Pet Shop Boys version over Willie Nelson's. Elvis' version was the best and it was very effectively used in the film "This Is Elvis".
Pedro Nuno wrote on January 13, 2011
This is one of those songs that are aged and vintage by time, like Port wine. Back in 1972 no one would even dream that near 40 years later, this song would be one of Elvis top 5 most popular songs in his catalog, to the main public. More than that, by 1980 no one would dare to say that Willie Nelson’s version would be world wide forgettable in 30 years and Elvis version would be the original and ultimate version. In You Tube, Elvis Always on My Minds video has over 23 millions viewers. More than Willie Nelson and The Pet Shop Boys versions together and doubled. I also grew to love it with time, more and more.
Deano1 wrote on January 13, 2011
One of Elvis' best recordings from the 70's. 5 stars!
Monster wrote on January 13, 2011
A lovely song, chalk and cheese compared to Willie Nelson, they're stylistically very different. Elvis's is the full production whereas Willie went for the pared back sound whicvh does sound good. It takes some adjusting though if you're only familar with Elvis's effort, which outside the US I would think would be the version most people know. Love it.
sugartummy wrote on February 23, 2013
There are several versions of this that don't differ much; all are excellent. One of his best and certainly one of his most moving performances.
atomic powered poste wrote on May 03, 2019
During his 72 sessions, elvis sounded tired. Burning Love, evwn if it was a hit record, suffered from that lack of fire. But for aomm, his state of mind fits perfectly. The song itself is brilliant, the playing of the band is sensitiv but powerful at the same time, and elvis rendition of the lyrics is convincing, sounds natural. Even though the soundquality is poor for the recording of a major artist in 1972, this is definitely his best post-1970 recording. The one recording from the 70's than can stand beside his other classic in terms of song and performance/his ability to communicate emotions. A true classic, a testament of his greatness. 5 stars.
Torments my heart wrote on May 03, 2019
About 5 years ago in thee UK, it was voted the number one song of Elvis' career... they've always been pretty good judges over there.
Gorse wrote on June 23, 2019
A fine record but never the number one song in his career. Surrender my 'possible' favourite and many other fan favourites no where to be seen. However in the UK this was the 'A' side and made the top ten, while in the US they selected Separate Ways an error in my book.
Stevekimb1 wrote on July 28, 2020
AOMM gets better every time you hear it. 5 stars.
Cruiser621 wrote on December 07, 2020
The original as I remember from my purchase in the past was done by Willie Nelson on the album of the same title I believe. While Elvis gets my 5-stars, I feel Willie Nelson's is the Classic Edition of this tune, period.
bajo wrote on December 07, 2020
Always On My Mind is one of Elvis' better ballads imo! I never understood how they could pair two great ballads on one single. They should have been singles on their own with an upbeat song on their B-sides. I never really got hold of Willy Nelson's version though.
marty wrote on December 07, 2020
One of my favorites. I like both sides but Always On My Mind had the hit potential as Willie Nelson & Pet Shop Boys proved years later. Shame it was hidden on the B-Side in the US. I love Willie but I his version is not as good as Elvis's. It's not a coincidence that with time it becomes more and more associated with Elvis. 5 stars
Milky White Way wrote on January 16, 2023
Willies. version is not in the same league as Elvis, I can’t listen to it neither the Pet Shop Boys (which is worse). Elvis owns this terrific ballad and it’s his period. This came from my favourite session in the 70s. 100 stars
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