About the song
“What Now My Love.” This powerful ballad, originally a French song (“Et maintenant”) by Gilbert Bécaud and Pierre Delanoë, which achieved international fame through various interpretations, including an English version by Carl Sigman, found one of its most poignant and impactful renditions in Elvis Presley’s hands. While never released as a single during his lifetime, his live performances, particularly from his later years, resonated deeply with audiences, showcasing a side of Elvis that was both magnificent and heartbreakingly human. It’s far more than just a popular song; it’s a profound lament, a desperate cry for meaning in the face of insurmountable loss and an uncertain future.
The lyrics of “What Now My Love” articulate a crushing sense of emptiness and a desperate search for purpose after a significant love has vanished. The narrator is left adrift, grappling with the stark reality of a life that once held meaning now devoid of its central figure. Phrases like “What now my love, now that you’re gone / I feel like a river that’s lost its way” and “I’ll never live again, no never / I’ll never smile again, no never” beautifully capture this overwhelming despair and the feeling of utter hopelessness. The song speaks to the universal experience of profound grief, the disorientation that follows a devastating loss, and the terrifying prospect of facing an unknown future without the one who anchored your world. It’s about that agonizing moment when the very foundation of your existence crumbles, leaving you to question every aspect of your being and your path forward. For Elvis Presley, whose own life was marked by incredible highs and deep personal struggles, these lyrics likely resonated with a profound, almost autobiographical, intensity.
Elvis Presley’s vocal performance on “What Now My Love” is, quite simply, breathtaking in its raw emotion. Particularly in his live performances from the early to mid-1970s, his voice, deepened and matured, carries the full weight of the song’s despair. He delivers the lyrics not just with power, but with a palpable sense of anguish, making the listener feel every ounce of the narrator’s heartbreak and existential dread. There’s a remarkable vulnerability in his phrasing, a desperate plea in his voice that is both captivating and deeply unsettling. He builds the song to a dramatic crescendo, his voice soaring with a mixture of pain and a defiant, almost desperate, cry for understanding. Elvis’s brilliance lies in his unparalleled ability to convey such profound human suffering with an honesty that transcends mere performance, connecting with audiences on a visceral, almost empathetic level.
The musical arrangement of “What Now My Love” in Elvis Presley’s live renditions is characteristically grand and orchestral, yet perfectly calibrated to support the song’s immense emotional gravity. It typically features sweeping strings that create a lush, mournful backdrop, powerful brass that adds a dramatic flourish, and a robust rhythm section that provides a steady, almost march-like progression. The instrumentation is designed to enhance the sense of epic despair and the dramatic arc of the narrative. The live production captures the raw energy of his stage presence, allowing his commanding vocals to soar above the rich musical tapestry, ensuring that every element contributes to the song’s overwhelming emotional impact.
“What Now My Love” as delivered by Elvis Presley resonated profoundly with audiences because its themes of profound loss, existential questioning, and the search for meaning in the aftermath of heartbreak are universally understood and deeply felt. It stands as a powerful testament to his incredible interpretive power, showcasing his ability to inhabit the deepest recesses of human emotion. It remains a timeless classic, a poignant reminder of the devastating query: “What Now My Love?”
Video
Lyrics
What now, my love, now that you left me?
How can I live through another day
Watching my dreams turn into ashes
And all my hopes into bits of clay?
Once I could see, once I could feel
Now I’m numb, I’ve become unreal
I walk the night, oh, without a goal
Stripped of my heart, my soul
What now, my love, now that it’s over?
I feel the world closing in on me
Here comes the stars tumbling around me
And there’s the sky where the sea should be
What now, my love, now that you’re gone?
I’d be a fool to go on and on
No one would care, no one would cry
If I should live or die
What now, my love, now there is nothing?
Only my last goodbye
Only my last goodbye
