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Elvis Presley Blue Suede Shoes
On The Acoustic

Welcome to my Elvis Presley Blue Suede Shoes page you'll find the lyrics to this song, a free pdf chords and lyrics sheet along with tutorial demos and a link to purchase full lessons in .mp4 format.

Elvis Presley Blue Suede Shoes
Chords, Lyrics, Demo, Tutorial

Blue Suede Shoes is a Carl Perkins number from 1955 and was recorded by Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran. Elvis did his version for his debut album in 1956.

Elvis never had a #1 as Perkins did with his version. Elvis's version peaked at #20. Strangely enough Elvis almost had a #1 with this song on the US country charts, where it reached #2. Go figure! The song was also a #2 in The Netherlands and a top ten in Canada, Sweden, Australia and the UK.

The track appears on his debut studio album which was released on Mar 13th, 1956. The album was recorded in Nashville over a two day period in Jan of 1956.

Carl Perkins had recorded his version a few months earlier in Dec 1955 and recorded his version a few days after writing the song. He managed a #2 hit on the national chart and a #1 on the Memphis chart. It was recorded by Sam Phillips at Sun studio and he suggested the line go man go be changed to go cat go, which Perkins agreed to do. Later on Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran did their versions but they never had a #1 hit either.

Blue Suede Shoes Lyrics

Well, it's one for the money - two for the show
Three to get ready now go cat, go but don't you
Step on my blue suede shoes
Well you can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Well you can knock me down step in my face
Slander my name all over the place
Do anything that you want to do
But uh-uh honey lay off of my shoes but don’t you

Step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Break

You can burn my house - steal my car
Drink my liquor from an old fruit-jar
Do anything that you want to do
But uh-uh baby lay off of my shoes but don't you
step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Break

Well, it's one for the money - two for the show
Three to get ready now go cat, go but don't you
Step on my blue suede shoes
Well you can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Blue blue - suede shoes oh baby
Blue, blue - suede shoes uh ha
Blue, blue - suede shoes oh baby
You do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Chords & Lyrics

Blue Suede Shoes Tips

As you can see from my version, this song is in the key of A, but I decided to play it in a G C7 and D/D7 sequence with a capo on the 2nd fret. I'm still in A but I'm not play the typical A, D E7 sequence for one reason. I wanted to play some walking bass in this song and it sounds better playing that in the G chord structure rather than in the A chord structure. You can certainly experiment with this in A without the capo with no Drop D as it's still possible to do.

The rhythm on this song is a steady up and down with some chops as you progress through the verses.

The lead in this instance is all improvised from what was played in the key of A on the Elvis version. Keep in mind a lead player has more freedom to unleash with a full band wrapped around him vice a single solo acoustic guitar.

Perkins had been in an auto accident in the spring of 1956 and while his version was hot, it began to fall on the charts. Elvis recorded the song to help out Perkins and didn't expect his version to do much. He was wrong and Perkins was grateful for the financial windfall.

John Lennon performed the song at a live concert in Toronto in 1969 and it's on the Live Peace In Toronto 1969 album.

Thanks for stopping by this Elvis Presley Blue Suede Shoes page and I hope the information found here was helpful.

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