Do you know?
“Gentle on My Mind” was written by John Hartford in 1966. Hartford was inspired to write the song after watching the film Doctor Zhivago, which tells the story of a love triangle set against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution. Hartford was also inspired by his own personal experiences, as he was a traveling musician who often spent time away from his loved ones.
Hartford recorded “Gentle on My Mind” in 1967 and released it on his second studio album, Earthwords & Music. The song was a critical and commercial success, winning the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording in 1968.
“Gentle on My Mind” has since been covered by many artists, including Glen Campbell, Bonnie Raitt, and Elvis Presley. Presley’s recording of the song is arguably the most famous version, and it helped to revitalize his career in 1969.
Elvis Presley’s Recording of “Gentle on My Mind”
Elvis Presley recorded “Gentle on My Mind” in January 1969 at American Sound Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. The song was produced by Chips Moman and Felton Jarvis.
Presley’s recording of “Gentle on My Mind” is a departure from his earlier work, which was mostly rock and roll and pop music. The song features a more subdued and introspective sound, with Presley’s vocals taking center stage. The song is also notable for its use of acoustic guitars and other folk instruments.
Presley’s recording of “Gentle on My Mind” was released on his 1969 album From Elvis in Memphis. The song quickly became a hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Presley’s recording of “Gentle on My Mind” was a critical and commercial success. It helped to revitalize his career and showed that he was capable of singing more than just rock and roll. The song has also been praised for its timeless beauty and its universal message of love and longing.
Let’s enjoy the song through the video!
Here are the lyrics of the song: “Gentle On My Mind”
It’s knowin’ that your door is always open
And you path is free to walk
That makes me tend to keep my sleeping bag rolled up
And stashed behind your couchIt’s knowin’ I’m not shackled
By forgotten words and bonds
And the heat stains that have dried up on some lovin’
That keeps you in the back roads
By the rivers of my memory
It keeps you ever gentle on my mindIt’s not clinging to the rocks and ivy
Planted on their columns mellowed by me
Or something that somebody said
Because they thought we’d fit together walking
It’s just knowing that the world will not be cursin’
Or forgiving when I walk along some railroad track and find
That you’re moving on the back roads
By the rivers of my memory and for hours
You’re just gentle on my mindThough the wheat fields and the clothes lines
And the junk yards and the highways come between us
And some other woman’s cryin’ to her mother
‘Cause she turned and I was gone
I still might run in silence
Till’ the join might stain my face
And the summer sun might burn me ’till I’m blind
But not to where I cannot see you
Walking in the back roads
By the rivers flowing gently on my mindI dip my cup of soup from a gurgling,
cracking cauldron in some train yard
I’m barely runnin’ cold how
Have a dirty hat pulled low across my face
Who cupped hands around the tin cans
I pretend to hold you to my breast and find
That you’re wavin’ from the back roads
By the rivers of my memory
Ever smiling never changes on my mind
cuong