Don't Ask Me Why (Elvis Presley song)

1958 single by Elvis Presley
"Don't Ask Me Why"
Single by Elvis Presley
from the album King Creole
A-side"Hard Headed Woman"
ReleasedJune 10, 1958
RecordedJanuary 16, 1958
Composer(s)Ben Weisman
Lyricist(s)Fred Wise
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"Wear My Ring Around Your Neck" / "Doncha' Think It's Time"
(1958)
"Hard Headed Woman" / "Don't Ask Me Why'"
(1958)
"One Night"
(1958)

"Don't Ask Me Why" is a song first recorded by Elvis Presley as part of the soundtrack for his 1958 motion picture King Creole.

It was written by Fred Wise (lyrics) and Ben Weisman (music).[1][2]

In 1958 the song was released on a single as a flipside to "Hard Headed Woman",[3][4] another song from the same movie.[5] In the United States "Don't Ask Me Why" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Hard Headed Woman" was number 1 for two weeks.[6]

The single "Hard Headed Woman / Don't Ask Me Why" was among the most popular singles of the whole year 1958 in the United States: Billboard ranked it number 49 on the year-end Popular chart (a recapitulation of the Billboard's Pop Singles chart for the year) and number 17 on the year-end Country and Western chart (a recapitulation of the Billboard's C&W chart).[7] The single was certified Planinum by the RIAA.[8][9]

Charts

Chart (1958) Peak
position
US Billboard R&B[clarification needed][6] 9
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 34

Year-end charts (single "Heard Headed Woman / Don't Ask Me Why")

Chart (1958) Peak
position
US Billboard Popular[7] 49
US Billboard Country and Western[7] 17

Cover versions

  • Wanda Jackson covered this song on her 1962 album Wonderful Wanda.

References

  1. ^ James L. Neibaur (4 April 2014). The Elvis Movies. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 39–. ISBN 978-1-4422-3074-3.
  2. ^ David F. Lonergan (2005). Hit Records, 1950-1975. Scarecrow Press. pp. 48–. ISBN 978-0-8108-5129-0.
  3. ^ Ernst Jorgensen (22 April 2014). Elvis Presley: A Life In Music. St. Martin's Press. pp. 632–. ISBN 978-1-4668-6855-7.
  4. ^ James Gregory (6 June 2016). The Elvis Presley Story. Edizioni Savine. pp. 198–. ISBN 978-88-96365-97-7.
  5. ^ Richard Aquila (1989). That Old-time Rock & Roll: A Chronicle of an Era, 1954-1963. University of Illinois Press. pp. 124–. ISBN 978-0-252-06919-2.
  6. ^ a b c "Elvis Presley - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
  7. ^ a b c Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (15 December 1958). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 44–. ISSN 0006-2510. Don't Ask Me Why Elvis Presley. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  8. ^ Elvis Presley: The King of Rock 'n' Roll. epubli. 1989. pp. 78–. ISBN 9780881766653. GGKEY:5FFUR579ZGT. Don't Ask Me Why Elvis Presley.
  9. ^ Peter E. Berry (1977). ... and the Hits Just Keep on Comin'. Syracuse University Press. pp. 246–. ISBN 978-0-8156-0135-7.
  • Ivy Press (1 August 2006). Heritage Music and Entertainment Dallas Signature Auction Catalog #634. Heritage Capital Corporation. pp. 166–. ISBN 978-1-59967-081-2.
  • Elvis Presley – Hard Headed Woman / Don't Ask Me Why at Discogs
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