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Doin' the Best I Can

Rating:
4.1 / 5

Words & Music: Doc Pomus Mort Shuman

I gave my heart
I gave my love
Oh ho, my darling
I am true
Doin' the best
The best I can
But it's not good enough for you

I tried so hard
So hard to please
Oh ho, my darling
What more can I do
Doin' the best
The best I can
But it's not good enough for you

You know I was the kind who'd run
Any time you'd call
I guess I was the only one
Who didn't mind at all
I'll be a dreamer
I'll be a fool
Oh ho, my darling
My whole life through
Doin' the best
The best I can
But it's not good enough for you

You know I was the kind who'd run
Any time you'd call
I guess I was the only one
Who didn't mind at all
I'll be a dreamer
I'll be a fool
Oh ho, my darling
My whole life through
Doin' the best
The best I can
But it's not good enough for you
But it's not good enough for you

Recordingdate: 1960/04/27, first released on: G.I. Blues (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Doin' the Best I Can:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(accordion)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(tambourine)

Availability

Find available albums with Doin' the Best I Can.

Steve V wrote on February 20, 2009
The best song from GI Blues, a great one indeed.
Deano1 wrote on March 09, 2010
A fantastic ballad from the movie and soundtrack LP "G.I. Blues". Tulsa McLean's (Elvis in the movie) version in the movie gets interrupted by a juke box playing the song "Blue Suede Shoes" by Elvis Presley. It is a shame because this great performance deserved to be heard in it's entirety. 4 1/2 stars
Deke Rivers 6 wrote on May 28, 2011
The whole LP is very good apart from maybe "Big Boots" even "Blue Suede Shoes" version is better that the 50s version This song is a good blusey number of which Elvis does very well.
dgirl wrote on May 28, 2011
Great ballad and best song from the movie which featured some pretty good songs but also some watered down santitized rock and roll like Blue Sueded Shoes which no where had the drive and intensity of the original.
old shep wrote on May 28, 2011
These writers very rarely turned out bad songs and this is another example of their great talents. Love the song, album and film.
GEORGE (GK) wrote on May 28, 2011
A nice ballad. Very enjoyable. "G.I. Blues" was a real good Soundtrack album. Some big hit singles could have been released from this album, but it didn't happen."Pocketful of Rainbows" was another strong ballad, on this album. (Love the alternate versions, more so) Elvis was back from the army and singing better than ever ! I too like the version of "Blue Suede Shoes" on the "G.I. Blues Album" better than the original version, that Elvis did in 1956.
Great Dane wrote on May 28, 2011
The second best song of this soundtrack,i like "Pocket" better. 4 stars for this one and i still enjoy this album very much.
bajo wrote on May 28, 2011
One of these "hidden" beauties that appeared on soundtrack albums. I've always loved this song. Wonderful vocal by Elvis. At this stage in his career, Elvis was still Elvis when it came to deliver a good song!
Monster wrote on May 28, 2011
Lovely song, beautifully delivered. I'd love to have heard a live version from the seventies. As a child in the seventies I used to love watching Elvis movies and in most cases I tended to be a little bored with the, ahem, storylines. I watched the movies for the, ahem, songs. Well the movies that were on most often were usually the better ones and the songs were stronger so it was worth the wait. It's a shame then that a great song like this was cut off in the actual film. It happened quite a few times with some of the better songs like DTBIC and another that springs to mind immediately is This is my Heaven from Paradise Hawaian Style. Yet we're "treated" to full run thrus of songs like Ito Eats and A Dog's Life lol.
Morris wrote on April 05, 2012
Lovely song it would be great to hear the liveversion - 61 Hawaii
freedom101 wrote on April 06, 2012
There's nothing not to like about this song. A classic all the way. Always El. ;)
ElvisSacramento wrote on October 27, 2012
This is such a spectacular song and it's easily one of Elvis' very best movie songs from the 1960's.
Gorse wrote on November 05, 2012
An absolutely classic ballad from G.I Blues and one of the best film songs of this type from any part of his career.
sugartummy wrote on March 02, 2013
It's a bit boring. Elvis sings it perfectly, but I tend to fall asleep with this one.
Cruiser621 wrote on April 30, 2017
Not one of my favorites to be honest from the soundtrack of "G. I. Blues"; it just drags.
JerryNodak wrote on July 29, 2018
My favorite song from G.I. Blues.
atomic powered poste wrote on July 30, 2018
Nice ballad but far from being outstanding. Still one of the better tracks on an successful but overall boring lp.
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