Go to main content

Tiger Man

Rating:
4.3 / 5

Words & Music: Sam Burns Joe Louis

I am the king of the jungle
They call me the tiger man
I am the king of the jungle
They call me tiger man
If you cross my path
You take your own life in your hands

Yeah, I get up on a mountain
And I call my black cat back
Yeah, I get up on a mountain
And I call my black cat back
My black cat comes a runnin'
And the hound dogs get way back

Yeah, I get up on a mountain
And I call my black cat back
Yeah, I get up on a mountain
And I call my black cat back
My black cat comes a runnin'
And the hound dogs get way back

Yeah, I get up on a mountain
And I call my black cat back
Yeah, I get up on a mountain
And I call my black cat back
My black cat comes a runnin'
And the hound dogs get way back

Recordingdate: 1968/06/27 8 P.M., first released on: Flaming Star (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Tiger Man:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(vocals)
(percussion)
(tambourine)

Availability

Find available albums with Tiger Man.

Lex wrote on January 09, 2009
Almost a signature song, proving why he was still The King. I wish the legendary (or mythic?) Sun version showed up...
Natha wrote on February 15, 2009
This fabulous song was presented to the wide world during the historical NBC TV Special. Dubbed later on as the Black Leather Show this legendary performance found a special high light in this performance. It showed beyond any doubt or reason that the King never lost touch with his roots. After the years of the mediocre land of movies he came back with a bang and what a bang that was! Great song, showing that lyrics are secondary when the power of voice, music and the combined performance is as fabulous as this.
Deke Rivers 6 wrote on February 15, 2009
Never liked the song, along with, "Baby want do you want me to do".
Rob Wanders wrote on February 15, 2009
great song.
FLASHBOY wrote on February 15, 2009
Always like this one along with Baby what you want me to do.
Steve V wrote on February 15, 2009
All versions are good.
My boy, my boy wrote on February 15, 2009
I personally liked the TTWII version a lot with Mytery train as a medley. But I was never too fond of the 68 special version nor the late 70ties ones either...I guess I'm picky ! :p
chriselvis5 wrote on February 15, 2009
I also love the TTWII one but i like the other too, i wonder if he did record it at sun.
theoldscudder wrote on February 15, 2009
Now this is fantistic, this is the real king. The same guy who does this also does Who Needs Money. It just dosen't add up. I guess there's 2 sides to Elvis there's the king & then there's the ham & egger. Tiger Man is Elvis at his best no other singer can touch him.
JerryNodak wrote on February 15, 2009
I like this song a lot if I'm watching and listening to it. But it doesn't do much for me without the visuals.
dgirl wrote on February 15, 2009
Totally awsome , visuals or not. Anyone who doesnt dig this from the 68 Special doesnt dig good rock and roll and the 'real' Elvis being unleashed after too many years of mediocore film songs.
sitdown68 wrote on February 15, 2009
When I first heard it on the Singer Album "Flaming Star" I knew: I want everything that is available from these '68 sessions. I was hunting them tapes some 25 years ago down the bootleg boulevard. Today I have Memories, there is a copy on CD-R in my car and I have the 68 deluxe 3 DVD box...
bajo wrote on February 15, 2009
When I first heard Tiger Man on the Flaming Star LP it became an instant classic in my book. Maybe because it was a "new" Elvis song by then. I also liked the jam of Baby, What You Want Me To Do from the '68 special. It's even better along with the visuals. A classic indeed!
Ruthie wrote on February 16, 2009
Although I am one of those "fanatical" Elvis fans, I really don't care of this song at all. It just never grew on me. I realize most fans will think I just don't get it, but that's my opinion nonetheless.
Dixieland Rock wrote on February 28, 2009
I love this song. I just wish Elvis had done a studio cut of this in 1968 with the same fire & raw energy. Another of my "what if" questions, what if songs like this had been the standard in movies songs instead of the songs like "Who Needs Money"? Fortunately, Elvis did cut this even if it was live on the 68 Special. It would've been cool that Elvis did songs like "Tiger Man", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" or even "Big Boss Man" in the movies instead of the throwaways. Even capturing this raw power on "Shin Dig" or the Sullivan show would have been an awesome treat for viewers at the time.
OtisBlue22 wrote on February 28, 2009
He once said that he'd recorded this at Sun. I wish that cut would surface. In the meantime we've got so many great versions. I don't think he ever did a bad one. The 1975 studio jam is high on my list. It's slower than most but rocks all the same. The Spring Tours rendition, like 'Big Boss Man' on that same record, hark back to his R&B roots. If you like what you hear, dig out Rufus Thomas' original.
derekd wrote on February 28, 2009
Here we have Elvis in 1967 recording a song of his choice, doing it his way, plaving the way for the biggest comeback in pop history. Not the greatest recording he ever made, but neither were the few songs before That's Alright Mama. Tiger Man is part of the Elvis recording saga, so its worth a spin.
Tiger-man-GB wrote on February 28, 2009
This song was very inspirational to me, as you might have noticed.
TBG wrote on November 29, 2010
Worth a spin? What are you kidding me?? This is one of the classic r&r songs Elvis recorded, ranked among the 10 best rock-songs he ever recorded. The energy on this song is crazy, and it's Elvis at his absolute best. If you don't like this song you don't like rockn' roll. Period.
JER wrote on November 30, 2010
Great performance. The King of Rock indeed, full of energy while doing this song in the '68 Special. And after more than 30 years that he left us he is and will be the King.
Marty_TCE wrote on December 12, 2011
Bit of a hidden gem this one from back in the day, you had to buy a budget LP to hear the song. How on earth was this rock and roll gold so over-looked?
freedom101 wrote on December 12, 2011
Yes, we all would've loved to have seen Elvis on the popular t.v. shows off the 1960s. Yes, we would've loved to have seen him doing concerts during the 1960s. The fact that he's still the best-selling artist of all-time proves that the body of work that he left behind still outshines that of any other artist in the history of the entertainment business.
ElvisSacramento wrote on October 26, 2012
All of Elvis' versions of this brilliant Rhythm & Blues song are stellar, but the best Elvis rendition of it is definitely from the "1968 Comeback NBC TV Special".
sugartummy wrote on May 22, 2013
Yes indeed, all versions are good, but the 1968 versions just blow me away. It's no wonder that in 1998 a CD was named after this song. Rock 'n' roll without a bass, White Stripes and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, eat you heart out.
Gorse wrote on July 22, 2013
I am in the minority but the 68 version just falls short for some reason while the 1969 MysteryTrain/Tiger Man medley always blows me away. The visuals greatly improve the enjoyment on the 68 version but listening solely to the audio just misses the full impact for me.
DerekH wrote on December 08, 2022
Not Elvis' greatest recording but one hell better than some of his mid 60's efforts
Back to List