A 1956 Elvis Presley ballad adapted from the 1861 Civil War-era folk song "Aura Lee," recorded for and named after his first film.
Composition
Love Me Tender was adapted from “Aura Lee,” a Civil War-era ballad with music by George R. Poulton and original lyrics by W. W. Fosdick. New lyrics credited to Elvis Presley and Vera Matson were used for the recording.
Recording
The track was recorded for the 1956 film of the same name, the first feature film starring Elvis Presley. The arrangement is a simple acoustic and vocal setting, in contrast to the harder rock and roll on his other 1956 recordings.
Reception
The single sold over a million advance copies before release in September 1956 and reached number one on the Billboard pop chart. It became one of Presley’s signature ballads and a frequent feature of his concert performances.