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

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

written by

Mac Davis Morris Mac Davis (January 21, 1942 – September 29, 2020) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor. A native of Lubbock, Texas, he enjoyed success as a crossover artist, and during his early career he wrote for Elvis Presley, ...

. The song was paired with "

Rubberneckin' "Rubberneckin'" is a song performed by Elvis Presley, which was recorded at American Sound Studio. It was used in the film '' Change of Habit'' and subsequently issued as the B-side of " Don't Cry Daddy" (RCA single 47–9768) in conjunction wit ...

" 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

) 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 in the U.S. and number 8 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. "Don't Cry Daddy" was Presley's first entry on the US 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 "In the Ghetto" (originally titled "The Vicious Circle") is a 1969 song recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Mac Davis. It was a major hit released in 1969 as a part of Presley's comeback album, and also on the single release of " Any Day Now ...

Chart performance

Duet

In 1997,

Lisa Marie Presley Lisa Marie Presley (born February 1, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. She is the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, as well as the sole heir to her father's estate. Presley has developed a caree ...

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