About the song
Few songs in the history of popular music evoke such raw emotional intensity as **“Unchained Melody,”** and few voices have ever brought it to life with the aching vulnerability of **Elvis Presley**. Though the song was originally written in 1955 by **Alex North** and **Hy Zaret**, and made famous by **The Righteous Brothers** in 1965, it found a haunting new resonance in Elvis’s hands—particularly during his final years.
**Elvis Presley’s** rendition of **“Unchained Melody,”** most memorably captured live in 1977 just months before his passing, stands as one of the most poignant performances of his career. At the time, his health was visibly declining, yet his emotional commitment to the music was undiminished. Sitting at the piano, unaccompanied by his band at first, Elvis pours every ounce of his being into the melody, as though he is using the song as a vessel to express something far deeper than lyrics alone can convey. His voice, though weathered, soars with tenderness and desperation, making the performance feel not just intimate, but confessional.
What makes this version so unforgettable is not technical perfection, but its humanity. There is an overwhelming sense that **Elvis**, through this classic ballad of longing and separation, is offering a final, unfiltered glimpse into his soul. The line *“I need your love, God speed your love to me”* takes on heartbreaking immediacy, resonating with themes of loneliness, mortality, and the yearning for connection that defined so much of his later work.
In many ways, **“Unchained Melody”** encapsulates the tragic beauty of **Elvis Presley’s** legacy. It reminds us not only of his unmatched ability to interpret a song, but also of the fragile man behind the myth—one whose voice, even in decline, could still stop time.
Video
Lyrics
Oh, my love, my darling
I’ve hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me
Lonely rivers flow
To the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers cry
Wait for me, wait for me
I’ll be coming home, wait for me
Oh, my love, my darling
I’ve hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me
