Buffy Sainte-Marie Wrote an Elvis Presley Song
Elvis Presley didn’t sing too many protest songs, but one of his ballads was written by one of the most important protest singers of the 1960s: Buffy Saint-Marie. Elvis wasn’t the only artist to record the song. The tune changed its writer’s life.
Elvis Presley’s ‘Until It’s Time for You to Go’ was written by Buffy Saint-Marie
Buffy Saint-Marie is a singer and songwriter who was part of a huge wave of 1960s folk musicians who wrote about social issues. Some of her most famous folk tunes include “Now That the Buffalo’s Gone,” “Universal Soldier,” and “Codine.” She also penned some popular love songs, including “Up Where We Belong” from An Officer and a Gentleman and “Until It’s Time for You to Go.”
During a 2022 interview with Original Cin, Saint-Marie revealed her opinion of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. “I mean, I was a huge Elvis fan,” she said. “When I was 13 and he was 19 he was all there was in the world. For years, I had a crush on him.” Countless other Elvis fans felt the same way!
Elvis Presley was one of many stars who sang that song
Saint-Marie said Elvis was not the only star to record “Until It’s Time for You to Go.” “Grover Washington, Chet Atkins, Roberta Flack, everybody kind of likes that melody,” she recalled. “Chet Atkins told me in the ’60s, ‘You know Buffy, you wrote a standard.’
“Chet was a wonderful person, I just loved him,” she continued. “I remember one time my asking him about my not reading music, and he said, ‘You know what I tell people when they ask me if I read music? And I said, ‘No Chet, what?’ He said, ‘Not enough to hurt my playing.'”
During a 2021 interview with Teen Vogue, the folk singer said “Until It’s Time for You to Go” was an integral part of her career. “Well first, it’s been my love songs — ‘Until It’s Time for You to Go’ and ‘Up Where We Belong’ — not my activist songs that have made me enough money to be in show business, which is expensive,” she explained. While her protest songs are important, her love ballads might have more broad appeal.
How ‘Until It’s Time for You to Go’ performed
Elvis’ version of the song came out in 1972, the same year he released “Burning Love.” While “Burning Love” was a huge hit, “Until It’s Time for You to Go” wasn’t nearly as popular. The ballad reached No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for nine weeks.
“Until It’s Time for You to Go” appeared on the record Elvis Now. That record also includes covers of other classic tunes, such as The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night.” This was part of a huge trend in the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s career. Many of his biggest songs, including “Hound Dog,” “Blue Christmas,” “Suspicious Minds,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight?,” and “Bossa Nova Baby.” Elvis Now reached No. 43 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 19 weeks.
Elvis’ “Until It’s Time for You to Go” is a classic and it wouldn’t be the same without Saint-Marie’s musical genius.
