Love Me Tender | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| D D/A |
Verse 1
| D D/A | E7 E7/B | A7 | D D/A |
Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me go.
| D D/A | E7 E7/B | A7 A7/B | D D/A |
You have made my life complete and I love you so
Bridge 1
| D F#7/C# | Bm D7/A | G Gm6 | D D/A |
Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfilled.
| D B7 | E7 E7/B | A7 A7/B | D D/A |
For my darling I love you and I always will.
Verse 2
Love me tender, love me long, take me to your heart.
For it’s there that I belong and we’ll never part.
Bridge 2
Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfilled
For my darling I love you, and I always will
Verse 3
Love me tender, love me dear, tell me you are mine.
I’ll be yours through all the years, ’til the end of time.
Bridge 3
Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfilled.
For my darling I love you, and I always will.
Love Me Tender Chords: A Simple Yet Beautiful Progression
The chords for Love Me Tender are so beautiful, they don’t even need complex rhythm.
In the key of D, the song primarily uses open-position chords strummed in a way that might remind you of a beginner’s style.
The verse chords utilise an alternating bass, like this:
| D (I) D/A | E7 (IIx) E7/B | A7 (V) | D D/A |
| D D/A | E7 E7/B | A7 A7/B | D D/A |
That E chord is a variation, moving outside the key. Using Roman numerals: D is I, E is IIx, and A is V.
The bridge chords are more sophisticated, with the inclusion of the IVm. Here’s how it goes:
| D (I) F#7/C# (IIIx/5) | Bm (VI) D7/A (I7/5) | G (IV) Gm6 (IVm) | D (I) D/A |
| D (I) B7 (VIx) | E7 (IIx) E7/B | A7 (V) A7/B | D (I) D/A |
While the chords themselves are easy to play, you’ll need TAB to replicate the sound Elvis created. Here’s a link to that part of the lesson: Love Me Tender – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Once you’ve mastered the chords, all you need is a simple chord chart. Here’s one I’ve made for you.
Love Me Tender Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Love Me Tender chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Love Me Tender chord chart iReal Pro.
Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key although if you do that, you’ll lose the sound that Love Me Tender‘s chord shapes have.
Love Me Tender – A cover that was covered!
Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley is an adaptation of a traditional tune from 1861 called Aura Lea.
While the lyrics are credited to Vera Matson, Elvis made his own tweaks for both the single and the subsequent movie it was featured in.
Released as a #1 single in 1956, Love Me Tender sold 3 million copies in the U.S. alone.
Since Elvis’s iconic version, many renowned artists have covered the song, including Johnny Cash, Nat King Cole, Albert King, B.B. King, Cliff Richard, Julie Andrews, Barry Manilow, Norah Jones, James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Jim Morrison, and Barbra Streisand.
This makes Love Me Tender a cover that has truly been “well covered.” Will you play it like Elvis, or make it your own?
Love Me Tender Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Love Me Tender (Elvis) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: