Go to main content

Take Good Care of Her

Rating:
3.4 / 5

Words & Music: Ed Warren Arthur Kent

Take good care of her, take good care of her
I suppose I ought to say congratulations
For you won the only girl I ever loved
But I hurt too much to face the situation
Just take good care of her, take good care of her

Just to be around her was my greatest pleasure
She was everything my future held in store
So remember when you take my only treasure
Just take good care of her, take good care of her

I must accept it, she loves you more than me
So with my broken heart I'll bow out gracefully
Please don't send me any wedding invitation
For I couldn't bear to see her there with you
If she's happy, that will be my consolation
Just take good care of her, take good care of her

Take good care of her, take good care of her

Recordingdate: 1973/07/21, first released on: single (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Take Good Care of Her:

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

Others*

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

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with Take Good Care of Her.

ElvisDayByDay wrote on May 05, 2008
Country like my father likes it and I don't. You hear Elvis isn't comfortable with this song and it sound like he is following the melody from a sheet in stead of laying down his own interpretation.
Tony D. wrote on May 10, 2008
Maudlin easy listening fodder. Elvis deserved better.
JLpResLey wrote on October 13, 2008
I completely love this performance. The regret and sadness in Elvis´ voice is unforgettable. Maybe the song isn´t good enough, but the performance Elvis gave is just outstanding.
Lex wrote on October 13, 2008
Boring is the only word I can use to describe this song.
old shep wrote on October 13, 2008
An old Sonny James number which Elvis to turned into a dirge.I very rarely play this track now as it is hardly uplifting in these troubled times
Pedro Nuno wrote on October 13, 2008
This is the WORST, and most AWFUL, song Elvis ever recorded. Never, ever, eared it completely! It's far to Kinky and Corny to me! The "please don't send me any wedding invitations" phrase kills me! Have to skip this awful track immediately!
Steve Morse wrote on October 13, 2008
Beautifully sung, and Elvis makes you believe the story it tells. I always enjoy listening to it.
Steve V wrote on October 13, 2008
Unbel that this was actually released as a single. Did they really think there was a market for this? Boring song from one of the worst recording sessions of his career.
ElvisBR wrote on October 13, 2008
I Love Country Music , but this one is really boring,
GEORGE (GK) wrote on October 13, 2008
"Take Good Care of her".. was the "flip side" to the fantastic single. "I've Got a Thing about you baby". Obviously, "Take Good Care of Her" was aimed at Country Radio while "I've Got a thing about you baby" was aimed at Pop Radio. But its one of Elvis' weaker efforts with a Country song, for sure ! Some of you may not be aware of this, but when Elvis came home from the army, he was sending records and gifts to Priscilla, back in Germany. And one of the records he sent to Priscilla, was the "original version" of "Take Good Care of her". The song, had became a special song in their relationship. Elvis recorded his version of the song, shortly after they split up in 1973. And Its quite possible, Elvis wanted this song to be a single, so that his ex-wife, may hear the song on the radio.. and think of him.
jb4elvis wrote on October 13, 2008
IMHO, one of Elvis' best studio performances of the 1970's. The arrangement is awesome and his voice is convincing. I love how he back up singers are used, especially as the song nears the end. I don't know if his personal life at the time had any bearing on him recording this one. In the Philadelphia area where I was living a young boy when this was released, this one recieved a lot of air time on the radio.
John4126 wrote on October 13, 2008
This song is truly dreadful. I think he was asleep when he recorded it.
bajo wrote on October 13, 2008
This song was recorded during the july '73 sessions. A session that produced the Raised On Rock album. As such, Take Good Care Of Her/I've Got A Thing About You Baby would have suited that album better than the inclusion on Good Times. Nevertheless, I'm afraid I have to join those who find this one a little uninspired. I wonder what this one along with the flip side would have sounded if rerecorded during the december sessions? I was surprised to find that Ernst didn't find room for it as a bonus when releasing the FTD album of Raised On Rock. I guess it's because he sees that it would ruin the classic release of the Good Times album with inclusion on both? If memory serves me right, this song was done by Dean Martin. It that was the first and original, I don't know. But, we all know how much Elvis admired Dean's singing.
Matthias Kuenzer wrote on January 13, 2009
Saying goodbye to Cilla, that's the way I've always understood this song. Beautifully sung.
theoldscudder wrote on January 13, 2009
Boring, uninspired yes. But it's not the worst, that should be reserved for He's Your Uncle Not Your Dad.
ger wrote on January 13, 2009
This was one of the few good songs that come out of the 70s. From 1970 there was only a few
NONE000000 wrote on January 13, 2009
It's a country song. Not bad, not really great. I have always felt that Elvis relied too heavily on backup singers, and on this track I find they drowned him out on the chorus--I'd always much rather hear just Elvis. This is a song that would have been greatly improved by the sincerity in Elvis' voice, but you can't hear it very well. I think a stripped down arrangement of this would hold up just fine alongside Elvis' other 1970s country output. A better arrangement and it'd fit in nicely with the whole Elvis Country album, though this was a few years later.
jb4elvis wrote on January 14, 2009
While I may be in the minority here, I love this song. Elvis seems really focused on this song, his voice is strong and convincing. I love the piano intro and the vocal surge by the back up singers just before the final "take good care of her." IMHO, this is one of Elvis' best performances of the 1970's.
Deano1 wrote on March 06, 2010
A 3 1/2 star song that doesn't maintain it's luster after several listens, but it is still a very good country song. To those who think Elvis is drowned out, I have to wonder what you are listening to? I realize he blends with the background singers on the choruses, but I still here him pretty plainly. As to who would buy it? How about a #4 ranking on the country chart? RCA realized with singles like "Burning Love" and "Steamroller Blues" you could push one side on the pop chart and one on the country. Here this song lived up to it's end of the deal on the country chart, but "Ive Got A Thing About You Baby" stalled at #39 on the pop chart.
dgirl wrote on October 09, 2010
Boring song that was done too many times before by others. Elvis did not do anything special with this song at all.
STRICTLY*ELVIS wrote on October 09, 2010
This song comes no where close to being my favorite song or favorite country song. However it is not a bad song. It is arranged well and the harmonies blend well. It is simply mediocre. Not every song can be a hit. Elvis obviously identified with the song and appears to have a personal connection to it. I really don't think anyone else could sing it any better.
Lou A wrote on October 10, 2010
I didn't care for this very much when it was released, but it's grown on me through the years. I remember I didn't care for the original version by Adam Wade either. There are moments in Elvis version which suggest he had a difficult time singing the lyrics which he probably related to his own situation at the time . These days when ever Elvis version comes on Sirius Radio, I usually listen to it and enjoy it, and I never skip it on CD. Haven't heard Wades version in a real long time.
Gorse wrote on December 23, 2012
Never got into this song at all. Whether it is Elvis or the song I am not sure, it is just about passable, but emits little or no excitement for me.
sugartummy wrote on May 16, 2013
I've heard other earlier versions of the song and they all sound pretty good, but no one else sings it believable with that tear in his voice as Elvis does.
shawnrw wrote on January 04, 2014
Very well done pure country song, but not among my personal favorites. I just thought Elvis was so far beyond this kind of clichéd fodder. This kind of song is best left to people like George Jones.
ElvisSacramento wrote on January 04, 2014
Elvis' rendition of this song was dramatic, brilliant, heartfelt and convincing. The regret and sadness in Elvis' voice makes his rendition of it a masterpiece. It's a sad and heartbreaking song, but an excellent song.
sugartummy wrote on January 08, 2015
Was Elvis singing to Mike Stone? He wanted Stone killed, so that seems unlikely. Still, Stone is the only one he could have been singing it to.
TheMemphisFan wrote on August 03, 2015
Let's not be too dramatic about the meaning of the lyrics. Elvis didn't personally write the song. He was just singing it to a microphone for a record. -- According to Ernst Jorgensen in the book, "Elvis - Day by Day", the 1974 RCA single of I've Got A Thing About You Baby/Take Good Care Of Her sold half-a-million copies in the U.S. Too bad it hasn't been certified "Gold" by the RIAA. Maybe Ernst Jorgensen or Roger Semon should look into that.
atomic powered poste wrote on February 19, 2018
Elvis sounds very whiny on this song, it's really too much.
Cruiser621 wrote on March 27, 2018
1-star. I don't know why Elvis bothered recording some of this drivel. The word "boring" comes to mind.
JerryNodak wrote on July 04, 2020
Nothing special, but I've always liked it. The version I knew best before Elvis cut the song was by country singer Sonny James. 3 stars.
Stevekimb1 wrote on April 25, 2021
Good rendition of a country standard.
Pachakuti! wrote on March 09, 2022
With that sadness only a man with the personal experiences can convey. I've always liked it. Too bad many on here are weak characters who think life is only about being young and happy.
DerekH wrote on December 15, 2022
Not up there with his great recordings, but much better than the mid 60's efforts
Milky White Way wrote on December 16, 2022
Not the best track on Good Times but still beautiful to my ears. Sung with such commitment and feeling. Maybe inspired by personal feelings but we’ll never know. IMO the Stax sessions produced some his best work, with no clunkers. 4 stars
Back to List