Go to main content

True Love Travels on a Gravel Road

Rating:
4.7 / 5

Words & Music: Arthur L. "Doodle" Owens Dallas Frazier

How many girls choose cotton dress worlds
When they could have satins and lace
And stand by her man, never once letting shade touch her face
How many hearts could live through all the winters
We've known and still not be cold
True love travels on a gravel road.

Love is a stranger and hearts are in danger
All through streets paved with gold
For true love travels on a gravel road.

Down through the years we've had hard times and tears
But they only helped our love grow
And we'll stay together no matter how strong the wind blows
Not once have I seen your blue eyes filled with envy
Or stray from the one that you hold
Oh true love travels on a gravel road.

Love is a stranger and hearts are in danger
All through streets paved with gold
For true love travels on a gravel road.

Yeah, true love travels on a gravel road. Mmmm
True love travels on a gravel road.
True love travels on a gravel road.

Recordingdate: 1969/02/17, first released on: From Elvis in Memphis (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of True Love Travels on a Gravel Road:

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

Others*

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

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with True Love Travels on a Gravel Road.

bastiaanvinke wrote on June 11, 2009
When somone stays with you despite of the situation then... 5 stars
JLpResLey wrote on July 30, 2010
Beautiful song, one of Elvis´ strongest ballads ever. It would have been way more acknowledged if it was recorded at any other recording session in the sixties. These Memphis sessions were just outstanding. There is an outtake of the song that I´m especially fond of, it appears on the Suspicious Minds release. So a great, great song, I wish Elvis would have continued with these quality songs in the seventies.
Great Dane wrote on July 30, 2010
Beautiful. 5 stars song from a 5 stars album.
dgirl wrote on July 30, 2010
One of the best ballads and sung full of soul.
Swen wrote on July 30, 2010
Such a beautiful song, and Elvis sings it so well. And one of my wife´s favourite Elvis songs!
old shep wrote on July 30, 2010
A masterful performance from arguably Elvis' greatest album
shoesuedeblues wrote on July 30, 2010
A truly beautiful song from one of my top five Elvis albums of all time.
Deano1 wrote on July 30, 2010
This song is beautifully written, has a great arrangement and is sung perfectly by Elvis. It gets five stars all the way in my book.
Steve V wrote on July 30, 2010
The perfect Elvis ballad, good tune, good arrangement, superb vocal. I prefer these to the later Vegas style arranged ballads with the over the top strings, horns & yes, vocals.
bluesboy wrote on July 30, 2010
Put Chips Moman and Elvis Presley together and you get a win win situation.
NONE000000 wrote on July 30, 2010
Another beauty in a session full of them! Everything he did at American Sound is pretty great, even the misfires (Hey Jude and I'll Be There, IMHO) are a step above much that came before and much that will come after. This song, however, was NOT a misfire! This is a classic and I wish he'd have performed it live more. I am only aware of one live performance, and it is pretty great too!
Bestoftherest8301 wrote on July 31, 2010
KingKreole (or anyone else who knows) - I wasn't aware that there was a live version, what album is it on?
Bestoftherest8301 wrote on July 31, 2010
Ah, found it!... on the Cupido label, album tile is TLTOAGR, track 15, it's an audience recording, but actually pretty good. also contains the first live version of Kentucky Rain.
GEORGE (GK) wrote on May 04, 2011
A real good song from the "great Memphis sessions". After all the hit songs and praise from the Critics and fans, I wish, Elvis would have returned to American Studios and continued to work with Chips Moman and the amazing American studio band. "Chips" got the best performances and vocals from him, in my opinion.
GEORGE (GK) wrote on August 12, 2012
I loved everything he recorded in those Memphis sessions in 1969. Elvis at his absolute best !
Biffx wrote on August 12, 2012
A solid track from the Memphis sessions. Your never going to go wrong with songs from 69, would have enjoyed hearing a few more live versions. I guess maybe Elvis was not sure it worked all that well on stage, though i do think the studio version has a slightly better feel.
TheKing01 wrote on August 12, 2012
Such a beautiful and meaningful song sung by The King. This song truly brings out Elvis' wonderful voice.
Gorse wrote on January 08, 2013
Yes a brilliant Elvis ballad, perfect at every level, with a great tune, good arrangement, and a sublime vocal performance. - only 5 stars though !!!
sugartummy wrote on May 22, 2013
Simply brilliant. Need I say more?
ElvisSacramento wrote on July 17, 2014
This is such a marvelous song and Elvis' renditions of it were brilliant. The only time when Elvis sang this gem live in concert was during the January 26, 1970 opening show in Las Vegas, Nevada. I rate this song 5 stars.
Jim Davidson wrote on September 16, 2015
If Elvis had worked on more projects with Chips Moman, Steve Binder and Marty Pasetta, he would still be making great music.
Milky White Way wrote on February 13, 2022
Nothing I can add to what’s already been mentioned. Nothing in 69 was poor except Hey Jude and this song is among the best. Elvis obviously liked the whu hu hu hu build up before the line “love is a stranger and hearts are in danger” as he sung live and some out takes but chips said “It sounds weird.” And got Elvis to stop doing it! Perfect track from a perfect album. 5 stars
TheMemphisFan wrote on February 14, 2022
Writer ~ Dallas Frazier . . . October 27, 1939 – January 14, 2022 . . . Rest in Peace
DerekH wrote on July 27, 2022
Elvis at the top of his game, 5 star recording any day.
Back to List