On a hot August day, thirty years ago, I was in my car, pulling out into traffic from the Leeds Municipal Swimming Pool parking lot after picking up K and A. From the car radio came the DJ's voice telling us that the King of Rock and Roll had died at Graceland in Memphis. The world had just got a little darker.
Elvis provided much of the soundtrack of my childhood. I remember listening to "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" on Bonnie Lois's tiny record player and dancing our feet off. I remember watching Elvis (from the waist up) when he first appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show." I remember when my sister, Pat, and I went to see "Love Me Tender" at the Roxy Theatre in Leeds. Who could ever forget Elvis uttering that immortal line, "Clint, they told us you was dead."?
Elvis had his faults, as do all kings. Adoration, worship, idolization are hard for most people to deal with. They brought E. down in the end. But he did some good too. He gave away cars, he loved the Lord and his Mama and Priscilla and Lisa Marie, and he filled our ears with a voice the likes of which never existed before and probably will never exist again.
But Elvis, honey, I just have to ask: why on God's green earth would you sing such a silly lyric as: "Well, bless my soul, what's wrong with me? I'm itchin' like a man on a fuzzy tree." ? What kind of tree is fuzzy, and why would there be a man on it, and how do you be on a tree anyway? These questions plague me.
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On 08/20/2007, Daisy Cottage said ...
Oh how I loved Elvis! Our last black & tan doxie who we were blessed to have with us for 16 years was named Elvis! Great post, Susan!
xo,
Kim
On 08/21/2007, Rian said ...
Those fuzzy tree lyrics are my utmost favorite! So many of the songs in those days had silly lyrics--listen to some of Chuck Berry's...I can think of Mack the Knife, Bony Maroni, Alley Oop, just off the top of my head.
Thanks for the music, Elvis. There'll never be another like you.
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