The difference between Elvis Presley’s version of “Hound Dog,” recorded in 1956, and Big Mama Thornton’s original recording in 1952 was famously summed up by the song’s cowriter Mike Stoller: “She was singing to a man. And he was singing to a dog.” The song’s original lyrics, by Stoller and Jerry Leiber, express a woman’s dismissal of a man who’s been mistreating her. Presley’s version used rewritten lyrics by Freddie Bell that changed their meaning from a metaphor for a lying, cheating partner to a song about a literal hound dog.
In addition, whereas Thornton’s version has a bluesy sound and slow tempo, Presley’s rock and roll version is faster. Both versions topped the charts: Thornton’s was a number one R&B hit, and Presley’s reached the top position on the R&B, pop, and country charts.