This song was first recorded by Elvis Presley for the soundtrack to his 1957 film “Loving You“.

Ben Weisman was a songwriter from New York who came to the recording studio in Hollywood where Elvis Presley was working on the songs for the film. Presley later recalled, “He said he was Ben Weisman, and he had composed the song “Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do”. I hollered at the guys to come out and we started playing the song. After that day, Ben and I became really good friends and he would wind up writing fifty-seven songs for me.”

Ben Weisman: ‘In 1957, I flew to Hollywood to finally meet Elvis. Our meeting was at Paramount Studios where he was recording the soundtrack for his film, Loving You. It was late in the day, and Elvis had already recorded quite a few songs.‘

‘During a break in the session, I noticed Elvis sitting alone in the corner, adlibbing some blues on the guitar. I wandered over to the piano next to him, sat down and joined in. He didn’t look up, kept on playing and even changed keys on me, but I followed along. Then he looked up with that smile he was famous for, and asked who I was and what I was doing in the studio? I told him I was invitedto the session and that I composed one of the songs he was about to record called ‘Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do’. He immediately called out to his musicians, ‘Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do’, and they recorded it on the spot.

‘During the early period of those sessions, he would get so carried away, he would forget to sing directly into the mike. His close friends, the studio musicians, would start dancing around him, creating a great deal of excitement. It made a tremendous impression on me, and the feeling is still with me today. Little did I know that because of that meeting, I would end up writing fifty-seven songs for Elvis – more than any other songwriter. In my wildest dreams, I never imagined the impact he was about to make on the world’.

Video

Lyric

Let’s sing along with the lyrics!

Oh yes I’ve got a lot o’ living to do
A whole lot o’ loving to do
Come on baby, to make it fun it takes two
Oh yes I’ve got a lot o’ living to do
A whole lot o’ loving to do
And there’s no one who I’d rather do it with-a than you

Advertisement

There’s a moon that’s big and bright in the milky way tonight
But the way you act you never would know it’s there
So baby, time’s a wasting
A lot of kisses I ain’t been tasting
I don’t know about you but I’m gonna get my share

Oh got a lot o’ living to do
A whole lot o’ loving to do
Come on baby, to make it fun it takes two
Oh yes I’ve got a lot o’ living to do
A whole lot o’ loving to do
And there’s no one who I’d rather do it with-a than you

There’s a balmy little breeze
That’s whistling through the trees
And it’s telling you to pitch a little woo with me
Why don’t you take a listen
You’ll never know what you’ve been missing
Cuddle up a little closer and be my little honey bee

Oh got a lot o’ living to do
A whole lot o’ loving to do
Come on baby, to make it fun it takes two
Oh yes I’ve got a lot o’ living to do
A whole lot o’ loving to do
And there’s no one who I’d rather do it with-a than you

You’re the prettiest thing I’ve seen
But you treat me so doggone mean
Ain’t you got no heart, I’m dying to hold you near
Why do you keep me waiting
Why don’t you start co-operating
And the things I say are things you want to hear

Oh got a lot o’ living to do
A whole lot o’ loving to do
Come on baby, to make it fun it takes two
Oh yes I’ve got a lot o’ living to do
A whole lot o’ loving to do
And there’s no one who I’d rather do it with-a than you