Love Me Tender chords

by Elvis Presley

Song Key: D Major

Time Signature: 4/4

Tempo: 74 bpm


Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e

Skill Level: Intermediate

Chords: D, E7, F#7, G, Gm, A7, Bm, B7

Beginners: Play in C Major with easy chords (Instead of playing Fm, continue playing F). If you are playing with the video—capo on 2nd fret.

Chord Chart Legend
D Major D/A Major F#7G Major A7 Bm B7 C Major E7 Gm
Lefties Chord Chart Legend
D Major - LH D/A Major - LH F#7 G Major - LH A7 - LH Bm - LH B7 - LH C Major - LH E7 - LH Gm - LH

Love Me Tender

Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key 
  
                D          D         A         D
Intro: 4/4  ‖  Bass      Chord      Bass     Chord   ‖
Reads:         Note                 Note     


   D                 E7                A7            D
1. Love me ten-der   Love me sweet     Nev-er let me go
   D                E7                A7             D
   You have made my life com-plete    And I love you so

        D       F#7       Bm      D7     G      Gm         D
Chorus: Love me ten-der   Love me true   All my dreams ful-fill
        D      B7       E7           A7            D
        For my darl-in' I love you   And I al-ways will

   D                 E7             A7              D
2. Love me ten-der   Love me long   Take me to your heart
   D                   E7            A7               D
   For it's there that I be-long     And we'll nev-er part

        D       F#7       Bm      D7     G      Gm         D
Chorus: Love me ten-der   Love me true   All my dreams ful-fill
        D      B7       E7           A7            D
        For my darl-in' I love you   And I al-ways will

   D                 E7             A7              D
3. Love me ten-der   Love me dear   Tell me you are mine
   D                     E7              A7              D
   I'll be yours through all the years   Till the end of time

        D       F#7       Bm      D7     G      Gm         D
Chorus: Love me ten-der   Love me true   All my dreams ful-fill
        D      B7       E7           A7            D
        For my darl-in' I love you   And I al-ways will

Song Facts

Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
  • The song was adapted from the Civil War song "Aura Lea". The melody was written by George R. Poulton and the lyrics were written by W. W. Fosdick. It was first published in 1861 and became popular with college glee clubs and barbershop quartets.
  • The new lyrics for "Love Me Tender" were written by Ken Darby, the music director for the movie "Love Me Tender". He also adapted the melody to fit the style of the movie, which was set during the Civil War.
  • Recorded by Elvis on August 24, 1956, on the same day that he recorded "Heartbreak Hotel". The two songs were released as a double A-side single and reached number one on the Billboard charts.
  • The single was released on September 14, 1956, and the EP of the same name was released on November 1, 1956.
  • Won the Grammy Award for Best Original Song in 1957. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, but lost to "Three Coins in the Fountain".
  • Covered by many artists, including Brenda Lee, Roy Orbison, and Dolly Parton.
Here are some other interesting facts about the song:
  • Originally titled "Wedding Bells".
  • Elvis was not the first choice to sing the song. The original choice was Frank Sinatra, but he turned it down.
  • Released in two versions: one with a full orchestra and one with a smaller backing band.
  • A huge commercial success, selling over 1 million copies in the first week of its release.
  • One of the most covered songs of all time, with over 500 recorded versions of the song.
  • Official Website: elvisthemusic.com
Songs by Elvis Presley on this site:
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