About The Song
Released in 1971 on the album “Love Letters from Elvis”, this song takes a melancholic turn, a stark contrast to the high-octane energy Elvis was known for. Here, we encounter a man grappling with the slow burn of a failing relationship. The lyrics paint a picture of a love that’s fading, with a partner’s growing disinterest becoming a silent torment.
The song opens with a deceptively simple line: “Your losing interest in me and it’s showin’.” It’s a statement that doesn’t scream drama, but the weight of unspoken hurt hangs heavy in the air. Elvis doesn’t resort to grand pronouncements or melodramatic pleas. The pain unfolds subtly, like a tear slowly tracing a path down his cheek – “A little tear I can feel start to flow.”
The genius of the song lies in its understatement. The protagonist, presumably Elvis himself, tries to downplay the situation with the repeated refrain, “It ain’t no big thing, but it’s growing.” This denial, this attempt to hold onto a shred of hope, adds another layer of complexity to the heartbreak. We can almost hear him convincing himself that it’s a minor inconvenience, a passing cloud, when in reality, the hurt is steadily intensifying, “Every day the hurt grows bigger than before.”
“It Ain’t No Big Thing (But It’s Growing)” allows us to see a side of Elvis rarely explored – the man behind the legend, vulnerable and yearning. This song resonates particularly with those of us who have experienced the slow disintegration of a relationship, the quiet desperation of holding on to something that’s slipping away. It’s a testament to Elvis’s artistry that he could deliver heart-stopping rock anthems and then turn around and deliver a ballad that speaks so directly to the ache in our hearts. So, put on your favorite Elvis record, crank up the volume, and let “It Ain’t No Big Thing (But It’s Growing)” wash over you. It might just remind you of a love lost, a tear unspoken, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going when the world feels like it’s crumbling around you.