Alannah Myles - Black Velvet Lyrics

Alannah Myles Lyrics

"Black Velvet"

Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell
Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high
Mama's dancin' with baby on her shoulder
The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
The boy could sing, knew how to move, everything
Always wanting more, he'd leave you longing for

Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please

Up in Memphis the music's like a heatwave
White lightning, bound to drive you wild
Mama's baby's in the heart of every school girl
"Love me tender" leaves 'em cryin' in the aisle
The way he moved, it was a sin, so sweet and true
Always wanting more, he'd leave you longing for

Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please

Every word of every song that he sang was for you
In a flash he was gone, it happened so soon, what could
You do?

Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please

Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
If you please, if you please, if you please

Submit Corrections

Thanks to Stephen Arroway for correcting these lyrics.

Writer(s): Christopher Ward

Black Velvet is about Elvis Presley, and its lyrics contain numerous references to him and his music, e.g. his 1956 song "Love Me Tender" and Memphis (Presley recorded there at Sun Studios).

Christopher Ward, the writer of this song, said in Fred Bronson's book "The Billboard Book of Number-One Hits", "They sent me to Memphis to cover the 10th anniversary of Elvis' death in the summer of 1987. We put me and a camera (operator) on a tour bus with 40 Elvis fanatics, which was an experience unto itself. I came to understand what the incredible passion was that these people had for this man, and what he really represented to them."

This song was the first US single off of the album. It reached number one on Hot 100 there in March 1990 and became a huge hit.

For this song, Alannah Myles received a Grammy award for "Best Female Rock Performance".