It Hurts Me by Elvis Presley

Album: The Essential Elvis Presley (1964)

Charted: 29

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It was just before Christmas, 1962, as future country music icon Charlie Daniels was driving from El Paso, Texas, to the East Coast, that he began forming the idea that would become this song. Not very long afterwards his longtime friend Bob Johnston invited him to Nashville to co-write some songs, and they finished this one together. In his Songfacts interview, Daniels remembers, "We just went on, and we finished it up, and Bob did a demo on it, and the company that he was writing for at the time - Hill & Range was the parent company - handled Elvis Presley Music and Gladys Music, which was Elvis Presley's two companies."

And the rest, as they say, is history. "Elvis came to town. He picked it up and held it for almost a year in what was called his portfolio. You know, they'd pick songs out for Elvis and when he'd go in to record, he'd review them, and if he liked it, he'd do it. So anyway, he recorded it, and it was by far," says Daniels, "the biggest thing that had ever happened to me in my life."
Although he never had the opportunity to shake Presley's hand, Daniels did get a chance to meet the King's daughter, Lisa Marie, at an event in Memphis. "I just got to tell her, I said, 'You know your dad picked one of my songs. I was a big fan,'" says Daniels.

With her sunglasses on, she resembles her famous father so much that it's "spooky," says Daniels with a laugh. "She looks like a miniature Elvis with, of course, feminine features."
Bob Johnston, who wrote this with Daniels, was writing under the name "Joe Byers" at the time. Daniels was credited as "Charles E. Daniels."
This song was relegated to the B-side of "Kissin' Cousins," and appears on over 25 subsequent Elvis Presley albums and compilations.
A fun anecdote, appropriate to a song with this title, is found in Al Kooper's Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards. It seems that Elvis' bodyguard, Lamar Fike, would be sitting in the room reading the paper when Elvis played darts, and... "On a few occasions, the darts would bounce off the target and stick in various parts of Lamar's anatomy. He wouldn't even look up from the paper as he pulled the darts out and handed them back to Elvis each time. Not even a grunt."

Comments: 7

Colin Bratkovich from 60191'It Hurts Me' is full of pathos, as it's emotional high, like an r&b vocal, is achieved. Maybe Presley's best? Or in brilliant vocal ability? This ditty was first attempted in May,1963,with the (later) January, 1964 master becoming the (buried) B side single a month later. While nothing could compete with Beatlemania at the time, it was, for my ears, better than it's (movie) promoting A side-"Kissin Cousins". Another (shortened) version was recorded in 1968 for the Elvis TV Special. This version, (also excellent) was originally scraped & released later. Now-it's much later-and it's STILL a gem of a record to be heard & found./Colin Bratkovich/author-JUST REMEMBER THIS'
Don from Sevierville, TnThis is one of my mom's top 3 favorite Elvis songs.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 21st 1964, the Elvis Presley movie 'Kissin' Cousins' was shown as a sneak preview in North Long Beach, California; thirteen days later on March 6th it opening in theaters across the U.S.A. and Canada...
Two days after the sneak preview on February 23rd "It Hurts Me"*, the B-side of "Kissin' Cousins", entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #78; and four weeks later on March 22nd, 1964 it would peak at #29 {for 2 weeks} and spent 7 weeks on the Top 100...
"Kissin' Cousins" would reached #12 {for 2 weeks} on March 15th, 1964...
* "It Hurts Me" was not featured in the 'Kissin' Cousins' movie.
George from Belleville, NjI agree with Michael from United Kingdom that Elvis could out sing any artist or singer when singing the right kind of song to show his vocal range. It's interesting that this song was recorded on January 12th,the exact day of my 5th birthday.Now that's what I call a birthday gift.
Michael from Eastleigh, United Kingdomthis is one of the greatest ballads elvis ever sang .he really feels this one. it is a power ballad as george rightly says. it is a song we don't hear enough. more's the pity.this song proved that elvis given the right song could out sing anyone.definitely one of the best
Tony from Dordrecht, NetherlandsElvis Presley recorded this song twice: The first time on January 12th 1964 and, for the NBC TV Special, on June 20th 1968. -Tony Versluis, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
George from Belleville, NjI think it hurts me is one of the best songs Elvis sang during his career.I would label it a power ballad before that term was even used.Elvis got a chance to show his vocal range and power on that number.a classic.

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