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Loving Arms

Rating:
4.6 / 5

Words & Music: Tom Jans

If you could see me now
The one who said that he would rather roam
The one who said he'd rather be alone
If you could only see me now

If I could hold you now
Just for a moment, if I could really make you mine
Just for a while turn back the hands of time
If I could only hold you now

'Cause I've been too long in the wind
Too long in the rain
Takin' any comfort that I can
Looking back and longing for the freedom of my chains
And lying in your lovin' arms again

If you could hear me now
Singin' somewhere in the lonely night
Dreaming of the arms that hold me tight
If you could only hear me now

'Cause I've been too long in the wind
Too long in the rain
Takin' any comfort that I can
Looking back and longing for the freedom of my chains
And lying in your lovin' arms again

I can almost feel your lovin' arms again.

Recordingdate: 1973/12/13, first released on: Good Times (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Loving Arms:

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

Others*

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

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with Loving Arms.

Lex wrote on March 21, 2008
Desperation and soul mixed flawlessly in one of Elvis' best post 1970 ballads.
old shep wrote on May 05, 2008
This must rank as one of the greatest Elvis tracks ever.A tremendous power ballad full of emotion, with Elvis' flawless voice in full command.A big hit on the country charts, what a pity it wasn't an even bigger crossover hit.
Rob Wanders wrote on May 05, 2008
you feel the loneliness in this beautiful ballad. Specially in the version from the "Guitar man album 1981" . With that beautiful howling guitar in the beginning. Stronger than the violins on the original.
Matthias Kuenzer wrote on May 05, 2008
Quite a few of Elvis' songs in the 70s dealt with regret about one's own behaviour, such as I'll Be Home on Christmas Day, Always On My Mind or Love Coming Down, and Loving Arms is no exception. Each of them Elvis turned into a moving personal statement. Just listen to the part "singing somewhere in the lonely night, dreaming of the arms that held me tight", and you will know what I mean.
Jim says hello wrote on May 05, 2008
Out of the hundreds of songs I love, out of all the moments within them, the line "singing somewhere in the lonely night, dreaming of the arms that held me tight" - is the line I play to non-believers to convert them - it usually works. The Guitar Man version ruins that immaculate moment as he is joined by the back up singers.
Steve V wrote on May 05, 2008
Great song - one of the best of the 70's. Should have been a single. I saw Tom Jans in concert in the 70's and he was over the moon that Elvis recorded this.
JerryNodak wrote on September 21, 2008
An emotion packed performance from Elvis. Haunting beauty. Great track from an an under appreciated album.
JLpResLey wrote on October 24, 2008
Great song and it should of course have been a single. So it is underrated not only by fans, but by Elvis too. Look, a lot of the songs from this album made it to his live shows. Promised Land, It´s Midnight, My boy, If you talk in your sleep, Help Me are five of them. I mean that Lovin´ Arms were just as good or better than those songs. Maybe Elvis did it a few times live, but it´s nothing that I know of.
Monster wrote on October 24, 2008
I love this song. I used it as the first song at my wedding even though it's a sad song - it's just soooo good. It was the first Elvis song my wife heard where she was able to really appreciate how good he was. We're both big fans of that whole album in fact.
Steve Morse wrote on October 24, 2008
"dreaming of the arms that held me tight" . Elvis's soaring voice sends a shiver down my spine, every time.
theoldscudder wrote on October 24, 2008
Always loved this. Great song & interpertation.
GEORGE (GK) wrote on October 24, 2008
The song was eventually released as a single, from the Guitar Man Album, where it charted nicely on the Country charts, in America in the early 80s. Its a true gem in the Elvis recordings.
Sundial77 wrote on October 24, 2008
I think it's great. I think it's very underrated and should have been a hit!!
1 BILLION SOLD wrote on January 03, 2010
The Dixie Chicks did a good version of this a few years back but it doesnt come close to the PERFECT version Elvis did! I own a bar and this song is one I make sure is on the juke box, regardless of which cd its on...my country fan customers LOVE IT! Actually, so does everyone else!
burninglove92 wrote on January 03, 2010
What a beautiful song, filled with what elvis does best. the 2nd verse just send a shiver down my spine and i feel elvis is with me. should have been a hit! its pure perfection.
Deano1 wrote on January 03, 2010
Recorded in December of 1973 and first released on the "Good Times" LP in 1974, this song is one Elvis' best recordings. A strong, well written ballad in which Elvis wrings every bit of emotion out of the beautiful lyrics. This song ranks right up there with "Just Pretend", "My Boy", "You Gave Me A Mountain", "20 Days and 20 Nights", "Love Coming Down", "Always On My Mind" and "Tomorrow Never Comes" as one of the best ballads by any singer of all time. When Elvis poured his soul into a song and used that beautiful God-given instrument on songs worthy of his talent, the results are amazing. Five stars all the way!
JerryNodak wrote on January 03, 2010
Hauntingly beautiful. Great soulful interpetation. Love it!
Stevekimb1 wrote on January 03, 2010
Elvis did quite a few 'covers' that he made his own. Loving Arms is one of his finest.
Stevekimb1 wrote on August 09, 2011
A truly great interpretation of the Dobie Gray hit.
sugartummy wrote on April 03, 2013
Etta James recorded this after Elvis done his version, so she knew what she was up to, but still she couldn't compete with our man. He's done an amazing version.
bajo wrote on January 26, 2014
I agree with those who regard this as a standout ballad performed by our man! "Country soul" if ever there was such a term!
Gorse wrote on January 26, 2014
Both this and the remixed version on Too Much Monkey Business CD were wonderful performances. I rate the 70's Elvis song output highly and this was another one of the many superb performances during those years
ElvisSacramento wrote on January 26, 2014
This is such a marvelous ballad and Elvis' rendition of it is the best rendition of it by far. It should have been a major hit for Elvis, but it wasn't. It's a true masterpiece of a recording for sure. It's always been my favorite track from the "Good Times" album. Elvis should have also sung this song at many of his concerts, but he never sang it at any of his concerts.
kink56 wrote on January 27, 2014
One of the few recordings I like that Elvis made after 1970. I prefer the remixed version on the Promised Land expanded from 2000 over the original echo laden mix.
shoesuedeblues wrote on February 18, 2015
The Good Times album is still a firm favourite and this track especially.Powerful exceptional performance by Elvis.Certainly up there with the best ballads he recorded.Given the right material there was no holding him back.
Jim Davidson wrote on February 07, 2016
I did not get why a then recent song, Loving Arms, was included on the Guitar Man LP. The Guitar Man LP was created to sound as though "Elvis had recorded it today". The original recording was great and withstood Felton Jarvis' rework on the 1981 LP.
TheMemphisFan wrote on February 07, 2016
I wouldn't refer to a 7-year gap as recent. "Loving Arms" was first released in 1974 on the Good Times album, and was reworked in 1980 for inclusion on the 1981 Guitar Man album. And the reason it was included is simply because it's a great song.
Cruiser621 wrote on February 07, 2016
One of his best as far as his output in the 1970's; I never tire of this song. Unfortunately I had stopped buying Elvis music in the mid 1970's and it wasn't until I became much older and thru purchases of FTD Cd's that I realized it all wasn't as bad as I thought.
Jim Davidson wrote on February 24, 2016
Nominated twice in the same month for Song of the Day. I can almost feel your lovin' arms again.
Milky White Way wrote on January 30, 2021
There’s nothing I can add to the review of this song that hasn’t already been said. It’s outstanding, timeless, chilling and moving. It’s why I love Elvis. I wish it was a little longer, not that it’s too short, just I can’t get enough of it. 5 stars easy.
Stevekimb1 wrote on January 30, 2021
A fantastic interpretation of the song. I listened to the original by Tom Jans, Kristofferson/Coolidge & Dobie Gray versions. They all stand on their own but Elvis brings an urgency and hurt the song.
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