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Datin'

Rating:
2.6 / 5

Words & Music: Fred Wise Randy Starr

Datin' is a game that grown-ups play
Datin' means acting in a silly way
Datin' makes girls start wiggle walking
Datin' makes a guy start baby talking

Dizzy like children on a merry-go-round
Grown-ups are the biggest kids I've found
You'd think they belong in a baby carriage
They're doing things that lead to marriage
But don't you laugh at what they do, oh no
'Cause some day you'll be datin' too

Datin' makes a guy comb his hair just right
His girl can mess it up when they kiss good-night
Datin' makes you quarrel and say you'll break up
And just because it's so much fun to make up

Children can't wait to grow up but then
They're datin and they're acting like kids again
You'd think they belong in a baby carriage
They're doing things that lead to marriage
But don't you laugh at what they do, oh no
Some day you'll be datin' too

Recordingdate: 1965/07/26, first released on: Paradise, Hawaiian Style (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Datin':

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(steel guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)

Availability

Find available albums with Datin'.

JimmyCool wrote on September 04, 2008
Of course we all know it's not a good song... it's not thaaat bad either, just an okay movie filler. But the outtakes on "Silver Box" are vey funny! "Yeah, baby"
Marty_TCE wrote on October 16, 2009
I don't mind this tune, Elvis is actually in fine fettle - just wish the material was better.
derekd wrote on October 16, 2009
never play it now, after '69 and Elvis showing what he really could, do this rubbish is not worth listening to. Be honest, would it get into any Elvis top 500 recordings?
Steve V wrote on October 16, 2009
He sang it to a 10 year old. That seemed to be his audience intelligence level by mid-60's. Crap from the worst soundtrack ever
Jim Hoff wrote on October 16, 2009
The concept of Elvis ' movies in the 60's was definately not about making art or good music ..... it was about making easy money (cheap movie, soundtrack aso.) Unfortunately the Colonels balls were bigger than Elvis' - and that's why we have to accept songs like 'Datin' as part of Elvis' musical heritage. To review these songs/movies would be exactly the same as putting serious efforts in reviewing wrestling as a serious sport. It simply makes no sense! Jack409: Don't you think Elvis would have benefited from having a down-to-earth guy like John Lennon in his entourage?
sitdown revamped wrote on October 16, 2009
I just wonder how Hal Wallis felt, after having done stuff like King Creole and now he was doing this. This song comes right after Dominic in the worst song ever charts. too bad but didn't he once say, they would do stuff like that as long as they are having fun with it?
dgirl wrote on October 16, 2009
Hal Wallis didnt care & neither did the Colonel. And neither do I for that matter. I will never play this song again in my life.
bajo wrote on October 17, 2009
Listening to Elvis during those soundtrack sessions one can clearly hear how Elvis himself thought about the whole thing. But, I admire him for pulling it through time after time. That said I still like to listen to This Is My Heaven and Sand Castles from this album. I think it's not fair to compare Elvis' 60's soundtracks to anything else but themselves!
Volker Stockel wrote on November 20, 2009
People often forget, about the songs for what the where recorded. this one was recorded for a movie and fit in well in this movie. I love watching the movies and all the songs in the movies. For me it was MTV long before MTV was born. Datin was a nice, funny song with a true strong voice of Elvis. I like the recording of it when he starts laughing loud
Deano1 wrote on February 25, 2010
A passable track due to Elvis actually coming alive at the "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" sessions on this one. His voice is strong and he does the best with what is nothing more than a "kiddie" song. The song fits the scene in the movie, but on record it looses any luster after a couple of listenings. I give it 1 1/2 stars, maybe two.
Deke Rivers 6 wrote on December 31, 2011
As you all know it's from PHS..and that's where it should stay.
old shep wrote on December 31, 2011
Another bad song from the pen of Randy Starr. How this guy ever got off the ground as a songwriter amazes me.
TCB1974 wrote on September 16, 2012
Poor song from his weakest soundtrack album. PHS was a disaster and probably killed his movie career, amazing that it still took another two years after the release of PHS to realize it was over and the NBC TV Special was taped.
Deke Rivers 6 wrote on September 16, 2012
Poor song from a poor film. Probably did it for Parker...enough said !
Cruiser621 wrote on September 16, 2012
Crap in, crap out... I actually like this song and the actual soundtrack; it is a far cry from the man I knew in the 1950's growing up and the material he sang. The Colonel and Elvis himself, for going along with the movie hoax is really sad... He could have told the Colonel no, but money speaks louder than common sense at times.
Bestoftherest8301 wrote on September 16, 2012
Elvis built himself a whole new fanbase through these sugary movies, kids, housewives, grannies etc, all buying the albums and going to the cinema. Elvis took a $million dollars for a lot of the movies plus a box office %, kerrrchinggggg! You can't knock the maths on this and as a business model it's faultless, Shame about the artisitic impression though. I actully like this song, I don't know why 'cause I shouldn't, and the outtake too. I'll keep taking the pills and maybe I'll recover soon. come on everyone has a song they know they shouldn't like but secretly they do.... don't they?
ElvisSacramento wrote on October 26, 2012
There is absolutely nothing good about this dreadful and embarrassing song. Elvis should have refused to ever record it.
sugartummy wrote on March 01, 2013
They're doing things that lead to marriage:risky stuff.
Gorse wrote on August 05, 2013
Should have stayed in the confines of the film as it completely loses its way out of that environment. Yes money usually speaks louder than anything else, and so our boy went along with the sham and picked up another nice wad of cash. We on this site worry about it more than he ever did.
McHobbit wrote on February 12, 2014
This one I actually don't mind. Not a masterpiece by any means but fun for what it is. I gotta admit that I do occasionally listen to it when the mood strikes me.
shoesuedeblues wrote on May 13, 2015
Terrible song,senseless movie and dire soundtrack appart from a couple of songs. I blame Elvis for the material.I find it very difficult to believe that a star of his magnitude couldn't demand bettter and receive better too, The guy wasn't a wimp and an imbecile, he was an intelligent man with over ten years in the business by this time. What the hell was he doing putting up with this s***?
atomic powered poste wrote on March 04, 2018
A stupid, uninspired, embarrassing song. A piece of sh×t. 1 star only because i can't give zero.
marty wrote on January 02, 2021
One of the worst songs from his worst soundtrack LP. Even the sound engineering is poor. At least it made Elvis laugh when he was recording it. Not much else to say really...
GBK42 wrote on September 18, 2022
I've never really liked this tune until watching the scene it's in the film. Now, I don't mind it on record as much as I used to. 3 stars at best.
GBK42 wrote on October 17, 2022
Actually no, nevermind the second sentence of my previous comment. What I actually meant to say is that it's passable in the film, not so much on the soundtrack. On record, two stars, in the film, three (maybe three and a half).
DerekH wrote on November 14, 2022
Nothing to say about this garbage
Milky White Way wrote on November 15, 2022
As soon as I saw the title I knew what to expect. I think we need to remember that Elvis was holding down two careers, one a recording artist and the other a movie star. If Elvis had his way we wouldn’t have any soundtracks to criticise, he wanted straight roles without singing. Should we be comparing his PHS soundtrack of 66 alongside How Great Thou Art sessions of the same year? Of course not. His soundtracks were meant to cover all ages and some to be light, fun and child orientated because many of his co stars were children. Just listen to many musicals from that era, they all have the same mix of songs and some just don’t work outside of the context. Datin is one of them, it seems weak out of its context. When his movie career was over we no longer had movie soundtrack songs, just the amazing, wonderful legacy we have. But I’m so glad we have professionally filmed footage of Elvis singing for almost every year of his career (except 59, 71, 74, 75 and 76) via tv shows, specials or movies. What other entertainer has that. Thank you Elvis for giving us your everything….even Datin.
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