Who else has reclined on the bed of Elvis Presley’s croon and wished they might be able to sing along? Or wished that they might be able to serenade a loved one, to make them feel as special as you feel every time the record spins and it feels as though every particle of Elvis’s voice is addressing itself to you and only you?
I know I certainly have. And now you can, with the handy help of this comprehensive tutorial of the ukulele chords for Falling in Love With You and an accompanying study of the song in question. Outlined below you will find the basic elements of the song, vital to musicians of all varieties, whether you are here for the song in all its original glory, or whether through the song as popularised by Twenty One Pilots.
The Story Behind the Ukulele Chords for Falling in Love With You
The song itself was a number one hit in its day of original release, finding home in the outstretched arms of his largely teenage audience, particularly those of hormonal females.
Written in 1961 by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss for the feature film Blue Hawaii, the song saw separate release as a hit single by the popular demand of said audience, which was based on a previous song: ‘Plaisir d’amour’, a popular French love song, or chanson, composed as far back as 1784 (!) by Jean-Paul-Egide Martini.
This aspect ought to be absorbed with a particularly wry outlook, considering the copyright case filed against the band Spiritualised when they used the song’s melody on their famous, eponymous track, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space’. The melody isn’t even theirs to lay claim to!
The forlorn, passion soaked nature of the track comes through in the lyrics and the music, the arpeggiated guitar chords laying an apposite bed for the longing croon present throughout.
Release Information
Elvis Presley’s version of the song topped the British charts in 1962, spending four weeks at no. 1. The single is certified Platinum by the RIAA, for having US sales in excess of one million copies. In the United States, the song peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 behind Joey Dee and the Starliters’ ‘Peppermint Twist’ and subsequently went to No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for six weeks.
During Presley’s late 1960s and 1970s live performances, the song was performed as the finale to his shows. Most notably, it was also sung in the live segment of his 1968 NBC television special, and as the closer for his 1973 Global telecast, Aloha from Hawaii. A version with a faster arrangement was the closing number in Presley’s final TV special, Elvis in Concert. ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ was also the last song he performed live, at his concert in Indianapolis at Market Square Arena on 26 June 1977, right before his death.
In 2015, the song was included on the If I Can Dream album, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Presley’s birth. The version uses archival voice recordings of Presley and his singers, backed by new orchestral arrangements performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Sunderland A.F.C. fans have even turned the song into the club’s anthem, with ‘Sunderland’ being sang repeatedly after ‘But I can’t help falling in love with you.’ Sunderland supporters aren’t the only fans using the song, but they are the club most associated with it.
According to a 2020 survey by OnBuy, the song is the most popular choice for couples as the song for the first dance at their wedding.
The Composition behind the Ukulele Chords for Falling in Love With You
The song is in a swung 6/8, so each chord will almost always be counted to its full 6 beats before changing, some even stretching to two whole bar measures.
As the chords are arpeggiated throughout, this might be a perfect opportunity to exercise your abilities in this regard, for the arpeggiation is at its most basic here, moving through the chord, travelling up and down in pitch before resolving to the next chord each time. There are more chords here than you might typically be used to, so familiarising yourself with the individual shapes before jumping right in would be a great idea, though I would strongly encourage you to engage, as this would be an ample moment to exercise the dexterity and relationship between both your fretting hand and picking hand.
The song, as can be seen in the corresponding film scene, is played with a capo on the 2nd fret, so here would also be a good place to practise transposition, an area that the ukulele’s same looking fretboard excels in.
Chords and Lyrics for Falling in Love With You
Given that the entirety of the song can be played with just seven chords, it would be pertinent to explore the lyrics in more detail, though before we go on the chords will be detailed below, for your diligent study:
The Actual Lyrics to Sing Along to
Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can’t help falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can’t help falling in love with you?
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can’t help falling in love with you
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can’t help falling in love with you
For I can’t help falling in love with you
Final Tones
So, there you have it, your very own go to guide to this ultimate song for lovers and all humans throughout the western world, the ukulele chords for Falling in Love With You for those looking to serenade themselves, their own lovers or simply to connect on a deeper level with the man himself.
FAQs Ukulele Chords for Falling in Love With You
The song is in a swung 6/8, so each chord will almost always be counted to its full 6 beats before changing, some even stretching to two whole bar measures. As the chords are arpeggiated throughout, this might be a perfect opportunity to exercise your abilities in this regard, for the arpeggiation is at its most basic here, moving through the chord, travelling up and down in pitch before resolving to the next chord each time. There are more chords here than you might typically be used to, so familiarising yourself with the individual shapes before jumping right in would be a great idea, though I would strongly encourage you to engage, as this would be an ample moment to exercise the dexterity and relationship between both your fretting hand and picking hand.
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