Ernesto De Curtis and his brother Giambattista De Curtis were supposedly requested to write "Torna a Surriento" by the mayor of Sorrento to celebrate Prime Minister Giuseppe Zanasdelli's 1902 vacation in the area. Mario Massa was first to record the song in 1905.

A new set of lyrics were added by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman for Elvis Presley in 1961. "Surrender" (Doc Pomus - Mort Schuman - Ernesto De Curtis) topped the charts. Nashville's A Team were represented here by Floyd Cramer, Boots Randolph, Hank Garland, Bob Moore, Buddy Harman and The Jordanaires.