The Momma 'n' Daddy Collection 9

It's time; it's time. Impossible to have a series on this theme and not include The King:

The one factor usually overlooked in discussions of Elvis Presley is that he came from the country market, and, in a sense, had a more powerful and lasting impact on country music than preeminent country stars such as Hank Williams or Jimmie Rodgers. Until Presley's arrival, country music had been considered regional, and only a few artists, such as Eddy Arnold, had shaken off this stigma. Presley opened the door for younger country singers, such as Marty Robbins, Sonny James, and Johnny Cash, to get their music exposed to a broader market. The consensus around Nashville in the mid-to-late 1950s was that Elvis Presley was very bad for country music, that he had in fact almost killed it; in truth, he was very good for a younger generation of country musicians, giving them potential access to broader media exposure than their predecessors had enjoyed.

So here he is, singing 'Don't Cry Daddy' (lyrics, as ever in this series, corrected by me - for typos and according to what I hear on the version I'm featuring):

Today I stumbled from my bed
With thunder crashing in my head
My pillow still wet
From last night's tears
And as I think of giving up
A voice inside my coffee-cup
Kept crying out
And ringing in my ears

Chorus
Don't cry, Daddy
Daddy, please don't cry
Daddy, you've still got me and little Tommy
Together we'll find a brand new mommy
Daddy, daddy, please laugh again
Daddy ride us on your bike again
Oh, Daddy, please don't cry

Why are children always first
To feel the pain and hurt the worst
It's true, but somehow
It just don't seem right
'cause every time I cry I know
It hurts my little children so
I wonder will it be the same tonight

Repeat chorus

The line here which lifts the song into the upper reaches is:

Together we'll find a brand new mommy

I don't think there can be many people who, hearing this sung for the first time, anticipate the rhyme. The surprise it delivers thrills you; it rocks you back on your heels. Which is what you want from a rocker and roller like The King.

[Previous instalments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.]