The Story Behind “Only the Lonely,” the Hit Roy Orbison Originally Offered to Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers

During the latter half of the 1950s, Roy Orbison was residing in a modest apartment in Nashville with his wife and their infant child. He frequently utilised his car as a safe haven in which to compose songs. It was in 1958 when Orbison’s friend Joe Melson, a rockabilly singer and songwriter, knocked on the window of his automobile and asked if he would be willing to collaborate with him on some songs.

Along with “Come Back to Me (My Love),” “Blue Avenue,” “Blue Angel,” “I’m Hurtin’,” and “Twenty-Two Days,” the two collaborated on the composition and recording of a number of songs, which were all included on Orbison’s debut album, Lonely and Blue, which was released in 1961. Among the songs that were included on the album was “Uptown,” which was later included as a bonus track to Lonely and Blue in 2006.The song “Only the Lonely” was initially written by Orbison and Melson, and they had the intention of having Elvis Presley or the Everly Brothers perform it. However, both of them declined the offer. It was proposed to Orbison by the Everly Brothers that he record the song himself, and he ultimately released it on the album Lonely and Blue.

As the first single from the album Lonely and Blue, “Only the Lonely” reached the number two spot on the Billboard pop list and reached its highest position on the R&B chart at number fourteen.

Despite the fact that Elvis Presley first declined to perform “Only the Lonely,” he immediately went out and bought a box of copies of the record after it was published. He then gave them to his pals. In addition, Elvis Presley referred to Orbison as “quite simply, the greatest singer in the world” while he was performing in Las Vegas in the year 1976.

Orbison’s first major hit, “Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel),” was also written by the duo while they were working together on the opening track.