Introduction
The track was released through Elvis Presley’s company, Gladys Music, Inc., in the United States in November 1964, serving as the B-side to “Blue Christmas.” Elvis Presley showcased a live performance of the song during his 1975 Dinner Show concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, and this rendition is accessible on the live album “Dinner At Eight.”
Joe Dowell’s cover version, released under the Smash Records label, attained the number one position on the US charts in late August 1961. This accomplishment displaced Bobby Lewis’ “Tossin’ and Turnin'” after its seven-week reign atop the Billboard Hot 100. Dowell’s rendition also dominated the Easy Listening chart for three consecutive weeks.
“Wooden Heart,” co-written by Fred Wise, Ben Weisman, Kay Twomey, and German bandleader Bert Kaempfert, drew inspiration from the German folk song “Muss i denn,” originating from the Rems Valley in Württemberg, southwest Germany. The arrangement was done by Friedrich Silcher. Marlene Dietrich recorded a version of the song in its original German form before 1958, preceding Presley. This version appeared as a B-side on a 1959 release of her single “Lili Marlene,” published by Philips in collaboration with Columbia Records. Elvis Presley’s rendition was published by Gladys Music, his publishing company. In 1975, Bobby Vinton released a version of the song with the lines translated into Polish.
Elvis Presley’s version of “Wooden Heart” incorporates two sections in German. The first section includes the initial four lines: “Muss i’ denn zum Städtele hinaus.” The second section, towards the end, is based on a translation of the English version and does not appear in the original German folk lyrics: “Sei mir gut, sei mir gut, sei mir wie du wirklich sollst, wie du wirklich sollst…” (“Be good to me, be good to me, be to me how you really should, how you really should…”).
Video
Lyrics
Can’t you see
I love you
Please don’t break my heart in two
That’s not hard to do
‘Cause I don’t have a wooden heart
And if you say goodbye
Then I know that I would cry
Maybe I would die
‘Cause I don’t have a wooden heart
There’s no strings upon this love of mine
It was always you from the start
Treat me nice
Treat me good
Treat me like you really should
‘Cause I’m not made of wood
And I don’t have a wooden heartMuß i’ denn, muß i’ denn
Zum Städtele hinaus,
Städtele hinaus
Und du mein Schatz bleibst hierMuß i’ denn, muß i’ denn
Zum Städtele hinaus,
Städtele hinaus
Und du mein Schatz bleibst hierThere’s no strings upon this love of mine
It was always you from the start
Sei mir gut
Sei mir gut
Sei mir wie du wirklich sollst
Wie du wirklich sollst
‘Cause I don’t have a wooden heart