BLACK VELVET by Alannah Myles

October 25, 2022

Any country rock or blue rock fan identifies with Alannah Myles’s songs. The 1989 single “Black Velvet” is still popular today among many fans.

This song includes a mix of blues and rock. The blue verses and rock chorus for this paean to Elvis Presley include straight from heart vocals that resonate with many. 

Fun Facts:

  • “Black Velvet” is the second single to Alannah’s debut album, which was released on July 26, 1989. 
  • “Black Velvet” won a Grammy Award and several Juno Awards. 
  • Alannah Myles and Christopher Ward were a couple when they wrote “Black Velvet.”
  • “Black Velvet” was dedicated to Elvis Presley. Ward got his inspiration from Elvis’s fans. He was on his way to cover’s 10th anniversary when he wrote the lyrics to document what Elvis meant to his fans.
  • “Black Velvet” won a Diamond Award in Canada, an award for songs with more than 1,000,000 sales.
  • “Black Velvet” won the 2005 “Millionaire Award.”
  • Robin Lee, a popular country music singer, did a “Black Velvet” cover.
  • Alannah Myles received a first-ever loyalty check for “Black Velvet” in 2008.
  • “Black Velvet” was Myles’s first single to succeed in the U.S. It made it to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for two weeks.
  • Myles recorded another “Black Velvet” version to commemorate Robin Lee’s 30th anniversary in 2007.

Lyrics 

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 schoolgirl

“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

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