Happy Monday, y’all.
Today for the Song of the Week, we have a cover called “She Thinks I Still Care” by Elvis Presley.
The song was originally written by Dickey Lee and Steve Duffy and first popularized by George Jones when he released it as a single, as it eventually peaked at #1 on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs chart back in 1962.
Elvis recorded “She Thinks I Still Care” for his final studio album, Moody Blue, and it was released as the B-side to his #1 country hit “Moody Blue” in 1977.
It’s been covered by plenty of other artists throughout the years, too, including Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Glen Campbell and Patty Loveless, just to name a few.
The lyrics touch on the fact that, while the narrator is constantly reminded of things that make him think of his former love (and he’s even dialed her number by “accident” on occasion), it shouldn’t make her believe that he still cares about her or wants to get back together.
Of course, you really can’t go wrong with either version of this classic, but there’s just somethin’ about the way Elvis sings it that gets me… and considering that it was released the year of his death and included on his final album just gives the meaning of the song that much more weight.
It’s a quintessential sad country breakup song if I’ve ever heard one, and if you haven’t heard it before, it’s high time to change that:
The George Jones original: