About The Song

Elvis recorded Hard Headed Woman on January 15, 1958, at Radio Recorders for his film King Creole. Take #10 was chosen for release. Hard Headed Woman entered Billboard’s Top 100 chart at #15. The second week, it was #3. Despite this movement, the highest position the record would achieve during its 13 weeks on the chart was #2. Sheb Wooley’s The Purple People Eater kept Hard Headed Woman from ascending to the top spot. The record also reached #2 on both the Country Best-Seller and rhythm & blues charts. Sales quickly exceeded one million copies and a gold record was certified by the RIAA on August 11, 1958. It was the first of several gold records Elvis was to receive during his career. Hard Headed Woman was written by Claude DeMetrius.

Hard Headed Woman was the first Elvis record to be played on the BBC’s Radio One. Disc jockey Emperor Rosk aired the record on his show.

This song finds Elvis using famous biblical figures to back up his assertion about uppity women: Adam and Samson kept a firm hand with Eve and Delilah, but Jezebel led the more lenient King Ahab astray. It’s all very tongue-in-cheek, of course: Elvis was always respectful and appreciative of the women in his life.