The year 1956 proved to be a turning point in the history of American music. Elvis Presley, whom the world calls the “King of Rock and Roll”, showed his acting prowess on screen for the first time and sang a song to the tune of guitar which was not rock but an expression of silent love.

This was the song that proved that Elvis was not only a rock star who created a stir on the stage, but also a romantic singer who lived in the hearts, and this song was the title song of the film ‘Love Me Tender’.

The title song left an indelible mark on people’s minds. The roots were in ‘Aura Lee’, an old folk song dating back to the American Civil War in 1861. The same tune was reworked, and songwriter Ken Darby wrote the lyrics, but it was Elvis’s singing that gave it soul. When this song released with his debut film Love Me Tender, the audience saw a rock star as a lover on the big screen for the first time.

This is how Elvis became famous in every household.

Within weeks of its release, the song went to number one on the Billboard charts and Elvis’ voice became a household name. People used to say, “This is not a song, it is someone’s heartbeat.” When he sang it on stage, there was silence in the crowd; Every listener feels as if this song is only for him.

Elvis Presley is credited as co-writer of four songs in the film, but actually had no contribution; It was just for royalty. When asked about this at a press conference in 1968, Elvis revealed that he had contributed a line of the lyrics to the title song, “Love Me Tender.”

Interestingly, Ken Darby registered the rights to the song in his wife’s name, so that history would always be linked to the two people’s love, just like the lyrics of the song, “Love Me Tender, Love Me True.” Elvis later said, “This song is not from any show of mine, it is a part of my heart.”