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Long Black Limousine

Rating:
4.6 / 5

Words & Music: Vern Stovall Bobby George

There's a long line of mourners
Driving down our little street
Their fancy cars are such a sight to see, oh yea
They're all rich friends who knew you in the scene
And now they've finally brought you
Brought you home to me

When you left you know you told me
That some day you'd be returnin'
In a fancy car, all the town to see, oh yea,
Well now everyone is watching you
You finally had your dream, yea
You're ridin' in a long black limousine

You know the papers told of how you lost your life, oh yea
The party, the party and the fatal crash that night
Well the race along the highway, oh the curve you didn't see
When you're riding in that long black limousine

Through tear filled eyes I watch as you pass by oh yea
A chauffeur, a chauffeur at the wheel dressed up so fine
Well I'll never, I'll never love another
Oh my heart, all my dreams yea, ended with you
In that long black limousine

Yea, yea, ended with you in that long black limousine

Yea, yea, ended with you in that long black limousine

Recordingdate: 1969/01/13, first released on: From Elvis in Memphis (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Long Black Limousine:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(sitar)
(bass)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)

Others*

(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(sax)
(sax)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(cello)
(cello)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with Long Black Limousine.

old shep wrote on April 20, 2008
Form Elvis in Memphis was a great album, and this is just one of the tracks that deserved to be released as a single.
My boy, my boy wrote on August 01, 2008
What a powerful way to kick 1969 off for Elvis...
ta2k wrote on August 01, 2008
I really wish the general public knew about songs like this rather than thinking Elvis only sang Love Me Tender. One of my all-time faves. Unmatchable voice. The King is always on a different planet to everyone else as it is, but this is one of the songs that really emphasise it. TCB
Steve V wrote on August 01, 2008
Super song & delivery. Why didnt Elvis continue recording songs like this instead of the MOR stuff he started to do?
Ruthie wrote on August 01, 2008
One of my favorites! Sends chills down my spine. Unfortunately, we don't hear it enough. You would be surprised how many "fans" claim they never heard it!
Lex wrote on August 01, 2008
Among the 10 best Elvis songs in my book. Only this guy could get emotion on record this way. Just wow!
Ton Bruins wrote on August 01, 2008
What a great song that is !! Listen to it very often. That what's makes Elvis The King...
secondrichard wrote on August 01, 2008
My # 1 Elvis song. Excellent, breathtaking, awesome song and performance.
Jim Hoff wrote on August 01, 2008
When listening to songs of this quality from Elvis you can't avoid asking yourself: Why? Why did he not go on recording more materiel with the guys from that little scammy local joint? Right - we all know the stories of certain disagreements, again mostly a clinch between RCA, management and Chips. Oh my God - could you image we had 5-6 albums from Elvis and these guys? Elvis at his best, superb, simple and yet brillant!!!!
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on August 01, 2008
Looking trough my local walmart, i ran across original beatles album cd's, one compilation,a nd one outtake set, then when i got to the Elvis section guess what i found. oh yea compilation after compilation, imagine a new fan wanting to buy all of Elvis recordings. his music has been and will always be handled in a sloppy fashion, of course people dont know of such recordings!
JerryNodak wrote on August 01, 2008
It would have been nice if Elvis would have recorded more at American studios. But power struggles aside my take on it has always been that we should just live with our fantasies. I don't think it would have been as successful a second or third time. The FIEM sessions were a case of catching lightning in a bottle. A one time thing where all the stars were in alignment. "Long Black Limousine" is my favorite track on the album.
ElvisSacramento wrote on October 27, 2012
This is such a spectacular, emotional, heartbreaking, powerful and unique Elvis song and it should definitely be way better known than it actually is. This is my favorite song from the "From Elvis In Memphis" album.
Gorse wrote on January 24, 2013
This song has grown on me over the years but I still prefer half a dozen other songs from these sessions. He is vocally powerful, emotional and full of soul, and although it might be number 6 on my Memphis Sessions list it is still worth 5 stars.
GEORGE (GK) wrote on February 27, 2013
Always Loved his version of this song. The Memphis sessions are my favorite Elvis recording sessions. The songs recorded here, is what gained him a bigger popularity, into the 70s and beyond.
Marty_TCE wrote on February 27, 2013
The King at the top of his game in '69. An amazing album and sessions that produced some of the finest Elvis recordings ever.
alanfalk wrote on February 27, 2013
This is a song that really shows how good a singer Elvis was, every time i imagine another singer sing this I almost laugh, think about a Pat Boone or Michel Jackson singing it !! And I never wished for Elvis to keep coming back to America Sound Studios, because even though I really liked his output there I also loves Elvis Country, TTWII and most of the output from the jungle room sessions. I think people sometimes forget that Elvis was the biggest part of the success in those sessions, just look at the 68' Comeback before and the Elvis early 1970 session after, elvis' motivation and his voice power was on top in that entire period, I rate If I Can Dream, Tomorrow Never Comes, It's Your Baby You Rock It, I Wash My Hands In Muddy Water, Just Pretend, Patch It Up and Loving Feeling, just to name a few, as being just as good as most of the Am, Sessions. Also sometimes Suspicious Minds are mentioned as his last hit ! Well Burning love reached #2 (#1 in cashbox) and The Wonder Of You was one of his all time biggest hits in England, and people should remember that whole careers sometimes are build on a top 20 hit, which Elvis had several of in the 70'.
Pedro Nuno wrote on February 27, 2013
The way Elvis Sings this song is nothing short than perfection. Presley transformed a regular song into protest song, giving it such strength that “Sympathy for the Devil”, “Let it be” “Riders on the Storm” or “Whole lot a love” seem like kids stuff! An Absolute peek in Rock History!
Great Dane wrote on February 27, 2013
I like "Any day now" and "Gentle on my mind" above this one on this album, but this is like all others on the album a 5 star song.
Deano1 wrote on February 27, 2013
One of my all time favorite Elvis tracks. His voice is powerful and sincere and he makes you live everyone of the words of this heartbreaking song. Absolutely perfect! 5 out of 5 stars.
sugartummy wrote on April 01, 2013
One of Elvis' best. Still Felton Jarvis succeeded to f..k it up in 1980. This version was released on the Too much monkey business CD. The original is perfect.
Jim Davidson wrote on September 16, 2015
I first heard this song after Elvis died. My first thought was his last ride in a (white) limo.
Cruiser621 wrote on June 05, 2019
Excellent song from the "Elvis in Memphis" album, released in 1969; the only clunker being "I'm Movin' On"..... This album brought Elvis full circle back to the dominance he once retained in my opinion. Great album.
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