T-R-O-U-B-L-E (song)

"T-R-O-U-B-L-E"is a song written byJerry Chesnutand recorded byElvis Presleyin March 1975. It was released as a single, as theA-side,with the B-side "Mr. Songman", throughRCA Victorthat was taken from his albumToday.It is not to be confused with theLeiber and Stollersong "Trouble",that Presley first recorded in July 1958, and which was subsequently recorded by numerous other artists.

"T-R-O-U-B-L-E"
SinglebyElvis Presley
from the albumToday
B-side	"Mr. Songman"
Released	April 22, 1975
Recorded	March 11, 1975
Studio	Studio C, Hollywood
Genre	Rock and roll,Country rock
Length	3:02
Label	RCA Victor
Songwriter(s)	Jerry Chesnut
Producer(s)	Felton Jarvis
Elvis Presleysingles chronology
"My Boy"/"Thinking About You" (1975) "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" (1975) "Bringing It Back"/"Pieces of My Life" (1975)

Background and writing

Jerry Chesnut wrote the song in 1975, taking inspiration from a singer and pianist namedLittle 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 his main 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 characteristics 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 among other females with characteristics somewhat less appealing than hers.

Chart performance

Chart (1975)	Peak position
USBillboardHot 100	35
USHot Country Songs(Billboard)	11
USEasy Listening(Billboard)	42

Personnel

Sourced from Keith Flynn and RCA session logs.

• Elvis Presley– lead vocals, harmony vocals
• James Burton– lead guitar
• John Wilkinson— electric rhythm guitar
• Charlie Hodge— acoustic rhythm guitar; backing vocals (uncertain)
• Duke Bardwell — bass guitar
• Glen Hardin— piano
• Ron Tutt— drums
• David Briggs–clavinet
• Voice (Donnie Sumner, Sherrill Nielsen, Tim Baty, Thomas Hensley) – backing vocals

Travis Tritt version

"T-R-O-U-B-L-E"
SinglebyTravis Tritt
from the albumT-R-O-U-B-L-E
B-side	"T-R-O-U-B-L-E" (remix)
Released	March 13, 1993
Recorded	1992
Genre	Country rock,Rock and roll
Length	3:00
Label	Warner Bros. Nashville
Songwriter(s)	Jerry Chesnut
Producer(s)	Gregg Brown
Travis Trittsingles chronology
"Can I Trust You With My Heart" (1992) "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" (1993) "Looking Out for Number One" (1993)

This song was recorded in 1992 by Americancountry musicsingerTravis Tritt.It was the third single released from his 1992 album of thesame name.It peaked at #13 in the United States, and #17 in Canada. It was later featured in the 1996 filmTremors 2: Aftershocks.

Personnel

• Sam Bacco – tambourine, percussion
• Mike Brignardello – bass guitar
• Larry Byrom– acoustic guitar,slide guitar
• John Cowan– backing vocals
• Jack Holder – electric guitar
• John Jorgenson– electric guitar
• Billy Livsey–Hammond organ,clavinet
• Dana McVicker– backing vocals
• Hargus "Pig" Robbins– piano
• Jimmy Joe Ruggiere – harmonica
• Travis Tritt– vocals
• Steve Turner – drums
• Billy Joe Walker Jr.– electric guitar
• Reggie Young– electric guitar

Critical reception

Geoffrey Himes,ofBillboardmagazine, reviewed the song favorably, saying that Tritt transforms it with "boogie-woogie piano, slide guitar and super-fast tempo into a bar romp reminiscent ofLittle 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.

Charts

Chart (1993)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)	17
USBubbling Under Hot 100 Singles(Billboard)	8
USHot Country Songs(Billboard)	13