T-R-O-U-B-L-E (song) explained

T-R-O-U-B-L-E
Cover:Elvis_T-R-O-U-B-L-E_ps.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Elvis Presley
Album:Today
B-Side:"Mr. Songman"[1]
Released:April 22, 1975
Recorded:March 11, 1975
Studio:Studio C, Hollywood
Genre:Rock and roll, Country rock
Length:3:02
Label:RCA Victor
Producer:Felton Jarvis
Prev Title:My Boy
Prev Title2:Thinking About You
Prev Year:1975
Next Title:Bringing It Back
Next Title2:Pieces of My Life
Next Year:1975

"T-R-O-U-B-L-E" is a song written by Jerry Chesnut and recorded by Elvis Presley in March 1975. It was released as a single, as the A-side, with the B-side "Mr. Songman", through RCA Victor that was taken from his album Today. It is not to be confused with the Leiber and Stoller song "Trouble", that Presley first recorded in July 1958, and which was subsequently recorded by numerous other artists.

Background and writing

Jerry Chesnut wrote the song in 1975, taking inspiration from a singer and pianist named Little David Wilkins. He said that, when writing the title, he thought of a woman walking through the door and causing trouble; he added that he spelled out the word "trouble", then the words "alone" and "looking", and found that they rhymed when spelled out.[2]

Content

The male narrator is a musician who performs at various nightclubs as his main source of income, especially during late-night hours. During a performance at one particular club, the narrator notices a rather attractive young female entering the club by herself. The narrator concurrently begins to boast about the female's characteristics and features, and implies a great sense of trouble (hence the song's hook, "I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E") that the female could cause as a result, such as bringing her attractiveness to the attention of males that notice or approach her, and subsequently inflicting jealousy among other females with characteristics somewhat less appealing than hers.

Personnel

Sourced from Keith Flynn and RCA session logs.[4]

Travis Tritt version

T-R-O-U-B-L-E
Type:single
Artist:Travis Tritt
Album:T-R-O-U-B-L-E
B-Side:"T-R-O-U-B-L-E" (remix)[5]
Released:March 13, 1993
Recorded:1992
Genre:Country rock, Rock and roll
Length:3:00
Label:Warner Bros. Nashville
Producer:Gregg Brown
Prev Title:Can I Trust You With My Heart
Prev Year:1992
Next Title:Looking Out for Number One
Next Year:1993

This song was recorded in 1992 by American country music singer Travis Tritt. It was the third single released from his 1992 album of the same name. It peaked at #13 in the United States, and #17 in Canada. It was later featured in the 1996 film .

Personnel

Critical reception

Geoffrey Himes, of Billboard magazine, reviewed the song favorably, saying that Tritt transforms it with "boogie-woogie piano, slide guitar and super-fast tempo into a bar romp reminiscent of Little Feat."[6]

Music video

The music video was directed by Jack Cole. It features Tritt singing the song on a stage surrounded by a huge crowd. Later, he jumps into the crowd to look for a certain girl.

Charts

Notes and References

  1. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. 2008. 330. 978-0-89820-177-2.
  2. Web site: Story Behind the Song: T-R-O-U-B-L-E. 3 December 2002. Country Weekly. 1 June 2011.
  3. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-1993. Joel Whitburn . 1993 . Record Research . 192.
  4. Web site: Elvis Presley Recording Sessions.
  5. Whitburn, p. 427
  6. Billboard, November 28, 1992