Introduction
ELVIS PRESLEY – “TRYING TO GET TO YOU”: THE KING’S RAW HEART ON FULL DISPLAY
Some songs don’t just showcase a voice — they reveal a soul. Elvis Presley’s “Trying to Get to You” is one of those rare recordings where emotion triumphs over perfection, where every word sounds lived-in and every note carries the weight of longing. First recorded in 1955 at Sun Studio in Memphis, the song captures Elvis at a crucial moment — a young artist on the brink of stardom, pouring every ounce of his heart into a microphone that would soon carry his voice around the world.
Originally written by Rose Marie McCoy and Charles Singleton, “Trying to Get to You” was first recorded by The Eagles (not the later rock band) in 1954. But when Elvis got hold of it, he transformed it into something completely different — a haunting, gospel-inflected plea of love and desperation. Backed by Scotty Moore’s bluesy guitar and Bill Black’s upright bass, Elvis delivered a performance that blended rockabilly fire with deep soul. It wasn’t just a song; it was a promise.
What makes “Trying to Get to You” remarkable is how it showcases the young Presley’s emotional intensity. His voice — still unrefined but already commanding — slides between tenderness and urgency. You can hear the echoes of gospel roots in his phrasing, the ache of the blues in his growl, and the restless energy of rock ’n’ roll in his rhythm. It’s a performance that feels spontaneous, as though he’s singing directly to someone just out of reach.
When the song resurfaced years later in Elvis’s 1968 Comeback Special, it became something even more powerful. Gone was the youthful exuberance of 1955 — in its place stood a man who had lived, lost, and learned. In that black leather suit, sitting on stage surrounded by a small crowd, Elvis tore into “Trying to Get to You” with a rawness that stunned even his bandmates. His voice cracked, his eyes burned with intensity, and the entire performance felt like a confession. It wasn’t nostalgia — it was rebirth.
This song, more than many others, tells the story of Elvis Presley’s relationship with music itself. It’s about persistence, faith, and the relentless drive to reach something — or someone — just beyond the horizon. Whether he was that hungry young singer at Sun Records or the seasoned icon reclaiming his throne in 1968, the message remained the same: no distance, no struggle, no time could dull his passion for the music or the people it touched.
Nearly seven decades later, “Trying to Get to You” still sounds as alive as it did the day it was first recorded. It’s the sound of a man reaching across time, across fame, across the noise of the world, to connect. That’s why it endures — because when Elvis sang, he wasn’t just trying to get to “you.” He did.