Heartbreak Hotel - Definition and Overview

"Heartbreak Hotel" is a rock and roll song by Elvis Presley, with Bill Black (bass) and Scotty Moore (guitar) as the main supporting musicians. Recorded in January 1956, the song introduced Presley to the US' national music consciousness. It was released as a single with the b-side song "I Was The One" on January 27, 1956.

"Heartbreak Hotel"'s lyrical matter dealt with the singer's sadness, implicitly that following the end of a romantic relationship. It used the metaphor of a hotel to represent this emotional state.

It was written by Thomas Durden and Mae Boren Axton, the mother of singer/songwriter/actor Hoyt Axton.

The song achieved high chart success with pop (#1), R&B (#1) and Country music (#5) audiences.

The vocals feature heavy use of reverb.

There is now a real hotel named after the song in Memphis, Tennessee.