"Don't Cry Daddy" is a 1969 song recorded by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

written by Mac Davis. The song was paired with " Rubberneckin'" and both peaked at number six in the United States ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in January 1970.

Concept

The song takes place in the mind of the husband of the wife and mother who is no longer present (it is not stated in the lyrics whether her absence is due to death, marital separation, divorce or abandonment). The characters are the father, one of his unnamed children, and a young child named Tommy. The unnamed child begs the father not to cry, saying they will find a new "mommy", and urges the father to play with the children as they did in happier times.

Background

The song was written by Scott Davis (also known as Mac Davis) and recorded by Elvis Presley on January 15 and 21, 1969 and released as a single. The rhythm track was laid down on 15 January and Elvis' vocal overdub on the 21 January. The song reached number 6 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 8 in the UK Singles Chart. "Don't Cry Daddy" was Presley's first entry in the top 40 of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'''s Country chart in nine years. Live recordings were made during his second season in Las Vegas during February 1970 and several of these have been released. However, during the dinner show at the International Hotel on August 13, 1970, he recorded a version that led seamlessly into " In the Ghetto".

Chart performance

Duet

In 1997, Lisa Marie Presley recorded a duet of "Don't Cry Daddy" and made a video of it, where she sings it with her father. This video was presented on August 16, 1997, at the tribute concert that marked the 20th anniversary of Elvis' death. The recording has Elvis' original vocal, to which new instrumentation and Lisa Marie's vocals were added. The studio version of this duet, however, was unreleased at that time.

References

External links

Elvis fans' comments and feelings about "Don't Cry Daddy" song
{{authority control 1969 songs Elvis Presley songs Songs written by Mac Davis 1969 singles RCA Victor singles 1960s ballads