Love Me Tender Sheet Music: Aura Lee

Love Me Tender sheet music is actually an American Civil War era piece, and the Love Me Tender tune is known as Aura Lee. Though other websites feature the Love Me Tender song lyrics together with the sheet music, that is technically not legal, as the song with its updated lyrics is under copyright.

Here, I give you the sheet music "Aura Lea," and also show you the Love Me Tender song lyrics. You can play Aura Lea, but sing Love Me Tender if you wish!

Find below:

the guitar tabs, chords, & lyrics to Love Me Tender, &
a piano arrangement

Lyrics to Love Me Tender

Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me go.
You have made my life complete, and I love you so.

Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfill.
For my darlin’ I love you, and I always will.

Love me tender, love me long, take me to your heart.
For it’s there that I belong, and we’ll never part.

Love me tender, love me dear, tell me you are mine.
I’ll be yours through all the years, till the end of time.

Aura Lea/Love Me Tender guitar tabs

There are a lot of chord changes, and less common chords, in this song. Part of the charm of the chords to Love Me Tender is how unexpected they are... D to E, then to Em. The third line is pure magic: D to F#, to Bm, to D7, to G and then - optional - Gm! before going home to D.

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

Aura Lea/Love Me Tender on piano

This piano arrangement is a bit old-fashioned, with its slow "oom-pah" chords. Somehow, it gives it a sweet feeling, rather than an energized momentum.

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

Who wrote Love Me Tender?

The Love Me Tender tune has its origin in Civil War times. A Wikipedia entry claims,

"The Civil War began shortly after the song's release; "Aura Lea" was adopted by soldiers on both sides, and was often sung around campfires." ("Aura Lea" is sometimes seen as "Aura Lee."

Here is a video rendition of Aura Lea that features photos from those days, very beautifully presented. Enjoy it:

But the 1861 song was given new life when Elvis Presley sang it in 1956, with new lyrics by Ken Darby (a composer and actor - and the Mayor of the Munchkins in "The Wizard of Oz").

From Wikipedia:

"Elvis Presley performed "Love Me Tender" on The Ed Sullivan Show on September 9, 1956, shortly before the single's release and about a month before the movie, Love Me Tender, was released (for which the reworded song had been written). After that, RCA received more than a million advance orders, making it a gold record before it was even released. The studio, 20th Century Fox, originally wanted to call the movie The Reno Brothers, but instead re-titled it Love Me Tender to capitalize on the song's popularity."

The link for the guitar arrangement:

Download Aura Lee/Love Me Tender guitar chords & tabs

The link for the piano arrangement:

Download Aura Lea/Love Me Tender piano sheet

Dianna:
Your website is a light in the darkness. THANK YOU for all you do in helping to spread the love of music. It matters!

Interested in songs from the Bible for your students or church? Check out my other website, SingTheBibleStory.com!

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About the Author

Dana Thynes

Hi, I'm Dana! (Say that like "Anna".) I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.

Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.

You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.