Return to Sender (song)

This article is about the 1962 Elvis Presley song. For other uses, see 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 while 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!.

The memorable opening bars and backing on baritone saxophone were performed by Boots Randolph.

Chart history

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

Notes

• On January 8, 1993, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stamp honoring Elvis Presley. Many stamp collectors mailed envelopes, franked with this stamp, to fictitious addresses in the hopes that they would receive their letters not only postmarked with the first day of issue, but also with a "return to sender" postal marking.
• The phrase "no such zone" refers to U.S. postal zones, a predecessor of the current U.S. ZIP Code. A postal zone was a one- or two-digit number written between the city and state ("New York 1, NY"), whereas a ZIP Code is a five- or nine-digit number written after the state ("New York, NY 10001").
• The song is used in the film Cast Away. It is played on the radio by Tom Hanks's character (who works at FedEx) near the end of the film.
• The song was featured on the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati on the episode "I Want to Keep My Baby" where Dr. Johnny Fever plays the record at a fast speed then stops and plays it backwards and re-start it at its correct speed.
• A cover version of the song was played over a jukebox in the Doctor Who episode Remembrance of the Daleks.
• The song was played, and appreciated, at the end of the funeral service, 2005, for Malcolm Hardee, "Father of British Alternative Comedy", which was attended by many fellow comedians.

External References

• Elvis Presley Studio Recording Sessions: March 27, 1962

Preceded by "Lovesick Blues" by Frank Ifield

UK number one single December 13, 1962 (3 weeks)

Succeeded by "The Next Time/Bachelor Boy" by Cliff Richard and The Shadows