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Elvis Presley - Return to Sender

Return to Sender is a 1962 rock and roll hit single recorded by American singer Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music.

The song was written by Winfield Scott and Otis Blackwell.

Recorded on March 27, 1962, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, it is about a man mailing a letter to his girlfriend after an argument. She continually writes "return to sender" and he keeps receiving the letter with various reasons for returning to sender, including "address unknown" and "no such person". He keeps mailing letters, refusing to believe the relationship is over.

Elvis performed "Return to Sender" in the film Girls! Girls! Girls!.

Featuring Presley's longtime cohorts Barney Kessel on electric guitar, Ray Siegal on double bass, D.J. Fontana on drums, Dudley Brooks on piano, Boots Randolph on baritone saxophone, and the Jordanaires on backing vocals, the song features an opening saxophone bar. Another saxophonist, Bobby Keys, claimed he performed the solo at the instigation of pianist Glen D. Hardin, in his 2012 memoir Every Night's A Saturday Night. However, Hardin did not meet Elvis until February 1970 when he joined his touring band. In addition, his claim is not supported by RCA, Ernst Jorgensen (the official archivist for Presley's recordings), or session logs.

The song peaked at number 1 on the United Kingdom music charts, and number 2 on the American Billboard singles chart, but reached number 1 on the rival Cash Box and Music Vendor singles charts.

"Return to Sender" also went to number five on the R&B charts.

It was the first Christmas number one in Ireland, as the Irish Charts had been founded in October 1962.

The single was certified "Platinum" by the RIAA for sales in excess of 1 million units in the US.

The lyrics:

I gave a letter to the postman,

he put it his sack.

Bright in early next morning,

he brought my letter back.

She wrote upon it:

Return to sender, address unknown.

No such number, no such zone.

We had a quarrel, a lover's spat

I write I'm sorry but my letter keeps coming back.

So then I dropped it in the mailbox

And sent it special D.

Bright in early next morning

it came right back to me.

She wrote upon it:

Return to sender, address unknown.

No such number, no such zone.

This time I'm gonna take it myself

and put it right in her hand.

And if it comes back the very next day

then I'll understand the writing on it

Return to sender, address unknown.

No such person, no such zone.