B-side "Mr. Songman" Format 45 rpm Genre Rock and roll | Released April 22, 1975 Recorded March 11, 1975 Length 3:02 | |
"T-R-O-U-B-L-E" is a song written by Jerry Chesnut and recorded by Elvis Presley in 1975. It is a different song than "Trouble", a song Presley first recorded in 1958.
Contents
Background and writing
Jerry Chesnut wrote the song in 1975, taking inspiration from a singer and pianist named Little David Wilkins. He said that, when writing the title, he thought of a woman walking through the door and causing trouble; he added that he spelled out the word "trouble", then the words "alone" and "looking", and found that they rhymed when spelled out.
Content
The male narrator is a musician who performs at various nightclubs as a source of income, especially during late-night hours. During a performance at one particular club, the narrator notices a rather attractive young female entering the club by herself. The narrator concurrently begins to boast about the female's obvious quality and features, and implies a great sense of trouble (hence the song's hook, "I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E") that the female could cause as a result, such as bringing her attractiveness to the attention of males that notice or approach her, and subsequently inflicting jealousy amongst other females with features and overall quality somewhat less than attractive than hers.
Travis Tritt version
This song was recorded in 1992 by American country music singer Travis Tritt. It was the third single released from his 1992 album of the same name. It peaked at #13 in the United States, and #17 in Canada.
Critical reception
Geoffrey Himes, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that Tritt transforms it with "boogie-woogie piano, slide guitar and super-fast tempo into a bar romp reminiscent of Little Feat."
Music video
The music video was directed by Jack Cole. It features Tritt singing the song on a stage surrounded by a huge crowd. Later, he jumps into the crowd to look for a certain girl.