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Help Me

Rating:
4.3 / 5

Words & Music: Larry Gatlin

Lord, Help me walk
another mile, just one more mile;
I'm tired of walkin' all alone.

Lord, Help me smile
another smile, just one more smile;
I know I just can't make it on my own.

I never thought I needed help before;
I thought that I could do things by myself.
Now I know I just can't take it any more.
With a humble heart, on bended knee,
I'm beggin' You, please, Help Me.

Come down from Your golden
throne to me, to lowly me;
I need to feel the touch of Your tender hand.

Remove the chains of darkness
and let me see, Lord let me see;
Just where I fit into your master plan.

I never thought I needed help before;
I thought that I could do things by myself.
Now I know I just can't take it any more.
With a humble heart, on bended knee,
I'm beggin' You, please, Help Me.

Recordingdate: 1973/12/12, first released on: single (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Help Me:

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

Others*

(guitar)
(cello)
(cello)
(cello)
(cello)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with Help Me.

MJB63 wrote on May 01, 2009
One of his best vocals.A song he loved,as you can see how many times he sang it in concert.
Monster wrote on September 28, 2009
Absolutely marvellous late Elvis track. The live versions are the best, always committed, even in uninspired concerts. Very hard not to sing along with eitther the studio or live versions. Fabulous.
derekd wrote on September 28, 2009
Another message song, should have done better chartwise. Then again it was only the singles B side. So, it got little airplay, if any, on the radio. IMO Elvis should have been doing his 'world tour' during 73 & 74.
JLpResLey wrote on September 28, 2009
Great vocals by Elvis, both in the studio and live. The version from Memphis 1974 is my favorite, for sure. But then again, ít´s that kind of song where bad versions are rare. Too bad it wasn´t a part of the tracklist for EIC 1977. It could have been great for that special
JerryNodak wrote on September 28, 2009
Very good gospel song. Excellently sung. A cry for help in the wildnerness.
My boy, my boy wrote on September 28, 2009
A beauty ! Elvis in his element. We can hear it !
old shep wrote on September 28, 2009
A really good song for Elvis and a good performance too, I wish Elvis had recorded more Larry Gatlin songs.
Deano1 wrote on December 12, 2009
A nice gospel song recorded in December of 1973. At this session, Elvis delivered one top notch vocal after another ("Loving Arms", "It's Midnight", "My Boy", "Thinking About You", "Spanish Eyes", etc) and this track is no exception. The song has a little bit of an odd pace and the lyrics of the verses are not that of a great song , but Elvis brings it all together. Several very good live versions are available as well. One thing I was always puzzled about was this song being released as single with an A side of "If You Talk In Your Sleep"??? A gospel song backed with a song about adultery??? Was the A side the sin and the B side the prayer to be forgiven? "Help Me" had a nice US chart run on the country singles chart (#6). The A side charted #17 pop and #6 on the easy listening chart.
Deke Rivers 6 wrote on May 16, 2010
Being of a none faith,this song isn't a favourite of mine anyway.If anything I prefer the earlier stuff "His Hand In Mine" "How Great Thou Art"."He Touched Me" was ok but "He Is My Everything" is straight from the Englebert Humperdink song & A Thing Called Love" / "I John" no thank's.
shoesuedeblues wrote on May 16, 2010
Probably one of my favourite Elvis gospel songs, heartfelt, poignant, full of emotion.
NONE000000 wrote on May 16, 2010
This is a song I appreciate more than enjoy, really. I appreciate that I think this is a song that Elvis probably really took to heart, and he certainly always sounds sincere whether in concert or on the studio version, but I guess maybe it's a little too country for my tastes? Not sure. (Whenever he goes into the "I never thought I needed help before...." part, I always think of the Beatles song "Help!"----"When I was younger so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in any way"..... Wow, someone should do a remix of those two songs! ....just kidding; that would probably suck.)
Steve V wrote on May 17, 2010
Good country gospel song. Written by Gatlin who was a big country artist in the 70's & 80's I can see why this can be viewed as more of a country song than gospel. Not single material in my opinion, although the flip was and should have been a hit.
Gorse wrote on December 14, 2012
Is it more gospel or more country I don't know, but I do know that this is a fine performance and a pleasure to listen to, over and over again without its appeal ever dimming. I often watch the less than perfect Omaha amateur film from July 1 1974, where you get a real sense of his enjoyment performing it.
sugartummy wrote on March 11, 2013
More country then gospel, but that's ok. Elvis gives it his all and that's what makes this song.
shawnrw wrote on January 09, 2014
A superb version of the Billy Swann classic, if Elvis had recorded it first I believe I would have been a even bigger hit. It straddles both rock and country wonderfully.
Morris wrote on April 23, 2016
Not I Can Help.Nice song
ElvisSacramento wrote on April 24, 2016
This is such a beautiful gospel song and Elvis' studio and concert renditions of it were all spectacular. This is easily one of my most favorite gospel songs and I've never skipped it while listening to any of the Elvis albums that it's on. The other song that Elvis recorded that was written by Larry Gatlin was "Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall".
Milky White Way wrote on December 31, 2022
IMO the 73 Stax sessions were almost as good as the 69 American Sound sessions. Promise Land was his best Album of the 70s and this song is a cracker of a performance. Studio or live, Elvis puts his heart and soul into it. 5 stars
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