So Close, Yet So Far – Elvis Presley

So Close, Yet So Far is a song by Elvis Presley, written by Doc Pomus and Teddy Randazzo, and released in 1963. It was a commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was also a critical success, with many reviewers praising Presley’s vocal performance and the song’s emotional power.

The song is about a man who is in love with a woman who is out of his reach. He sings about how he can see her, but he can’t touch her. He knows that he can never be with her, but he can’t help but want her.

The song has been interpreted in many different ways over the years. Some people believe that it is about a man who is in love with a woman from a different social class. Others believe that it is about a man who is in love with a woman who is already married. Still others believe that it is simply about a man who is in love with a woman who does not love him back.

No matter how it is interpreted, So Close, Yet So Far is a powerful and moving song about the longing for unrequited love. It is one of Elvis Presley’s most popular and enduring songs, and it continues to resonate with listeners today.

History of the song

So Close, Yet So Far was written by Doc Pomus and Teddy Randazzo, two of the most successful songwriters of the 1950s and 1960s. They had previously written hits for artists such as The Drifters, Dion, and Ben E. King.

Pomus and Randazzo wrote So Close, Yet So Far specifically for Elvis Presley. They knew that he was a powerful vocalist who could handle the song’s emotional intensity.

Presley recorded So Close, Yet So Far at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California, on June 25, 1962. The session was produced by Felton Jarvis.

Presley’s performance of So Close, Yet So Far is one of his finest vocal performances. He sings the song with raw emotion and passion. His voice is full of longing and despair.

So Close, Yet So Far was released as a single on January 21, 1963. It quickly became a hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The song was also a critical success. Many reviewers praised Presley’s vocal performance and the song’s emotional power. Billboard magazine wrote that So Close, Yet So Far was “a beautiful ballad with a haunting melody and a poignant lyric.”

Introduction to the song

So Close, Yet So Far is a powerful and moving song about the longing for unrequited love. It is one of Elvis Presley’s most popular and enduring songs, and it continues to resonate with listeners today.

The song is about a man who is in love with a woman who is out of his reach. He sings about how he can see her, but he can’t touch her. He knows that he can never be with her, but he can’t help but want her.

Presley’s performance of So Close, Yet So Far is one of his finest vocal performances. He sings the song with raw emotion and passion. His voice is full of longing and despair.

So Close, Yet So Far is a song for anyone who has ever experienced the pain of unrequited love. It is a song that will touch your heart and stay with you long after you have heard it.

Here is a possible introduction to the song for a live performance:

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley!

Elvis has prepared a special song for us tonight. It’s a song about longing and despair, about the pain of unrequited love. It’s a song that will touch your heart and stay with you long after you have heard it.

Please put your hands together for Elvis Presley and his performance of So Close, Yet So Far.

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Lyrics

So close, yet so far from paradise
I hold, you in my arms, in paradise
Is mine, then you slip away
Like a child at play, and here am I
So close, yet so far from paradise

When you, are close to me, it’s paradise
We kiss, oh my love, paradise
Is mine, then suddenly you’re gone from me
Like a floating star, I see, and here am I
So close, yet so far from paradise

I reach out for you, but each time I do
I always find you gone
I know love is new, I’ll take care of you
In my arms is where you belong

Just, a step away, are we from paradise
Take my hand, come away, to paradise
My love, I want you close to me
I need you desperately, oh here am I
Waiting for you
Here am I
Praying for you
Here am I, so close, yet so far from paradise