Absolutely masterful. I've long been a fan of Elvis, though I know some people find his voice whiney, particularly on this record. I find this...just incredibly expressive. It's a first rate song, superbly performed. In fact the whole album is quite excellent.
from Painted from Memory (Mercury) available on CD - Mercury (538 002-2)
Probably the only anthemic pop song I will ever choose to listen to. Was drawn to it the first time I heard it, as a piece of chart music at the end of the 1990s.
The first two chords of the verse are audacious, most unusual in pop music, and are what makes the song for me. Without them, or with conventional choices, the song would lose its tension and power. The lyric can be considered cheesy, but it kind of aims high in searching out some kind of universal truth, and it works. When in the right mood, it is even elevating. The last part is lyrically very pathetic, a lame series of insulting name drops. But it probably got the record heard - this was their first single.
I recently read that this song was much admired by U2, and I'm not surprised as I can hear them striving for something like this. But they never get anywhere even slightly close.
28 Sep 18 ·Mike: An opera singer included this in her \"Desert Island Discs\" selection last week.