About the song
Background
- Original Song: “Burning Love” was not originally an Elvis tune. It was written and recorded by country-soul singer Arthur Alexander in 1972.
- Elvis’s Hit Version: Elvis released his cover in the same year, and it became one of his final major hits, reaching #2 on the U.S. Billboard charts.
- Aloha From Hawaii: The live performance of “Burning Love” in Honolulu, 1973, was part of Elvis’s iconic “Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite” concert. This was the first live concert broadcast globally via satellite, reaching an estimated audience of 1-1.5 billion people. The energy and excitement of this performance helped solidify the song as a classic in Elvis’ catalog.
Lyrics
The lyrics are simple but powerful, using fiery imagery to depict an intense, all-consuming passion:
- Burning Desire: The central image is of someone “burning” with desire, a fever that can’t be contained or denied. Lines like “flames grow higher” and “my temperature’s rising” reinforce this physical manifestation of passion.
- All-Consuming Love: The lyrics suggest that this love completely takes over the speaker’s mind and body: “I’m just a hunk of coal, now I’m on fire.”
- Urgent Need: There’s a sense of desperation in the pleading for the object of desire to “come on my way,” and an acknowledgement that this might be a destructive passion.
Themes
- Overwhelming Desire: The main theme is that of an uncontrollable passion, one that borders on obsession and takes a physical toll.
- Love as Surrender: There’s an element of surrendering to a force beyond oneself, a willingness to be consumed by the intensity of the feeling.
- The Power of Performance: Elvis’s charismatic stage presence and energetic vocal delivery add to the song’s message. The live performance embodies the raw heat and desire expressed in the lyrics.
Why It Resonates
“Burning Love” has become a rock and roll standard because:
- Evocative Imagery: The lyrics are easily understood yet create vivid mental pictures.
- Catchy Melody: The song is upbeat and instantly memorable.
- Elvis’s Performance: Elvis’s iconic status and the historic nature of the Honolulu concert elevates his version of the song, making it inseparable from the artist himself.
Video
Lyrics
You wanna do it again?
Yeah, okay
Can we roll in?
We take two
One, two
One, two, three
Lord Almighty
I feel my temperature rising, mm
Higher and higher
It’s burning through to my soul
Girl, girl, girl, you gonna set me on fire
My brain is flaming
I don’t know which way to go
Your kisses lift me higher
Like the sweet song of a choir
You light my morning sky
With burning love
Hmm, ooh-ooh-ooh
I feel my temperature rising
Help me, I’m flaming
I must be a hundred and nine
Burning, burning, burning
And nothing can cool me
I just might turn into smoke
But I feel fine
‘Cause your kisses lift me higher
Like a sweet song of a choir
And you light my morning sky
With morning love
It’s coming closer
The flames are now licking my body
Won’t you help me
Feel like I’m slipping away
It’s hard to breath
And my chest is a-heaving
Lord, have mercy
I’m burning the hole where I lay
Your kisses lift me higher
Like the sweet song of a choir
You light my morning sky with burning love
With burning love
I’m just a hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
A hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
A hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
A hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
A hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
A hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
A hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
A hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
A hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
A hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
I need a hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
A hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
A hunk, a hunk of burning love (ah)
A hunk, a hunk (that’s a guess)