Where were you on 16th August 1977? Had you been born yet? I was 11 back then and I remember Elvis’ passing was all over the news, though it doesn’t mean a big deal if I say his death was covered by all the TV channels, because there were only two at the time… My teenage students must find this extremely hard to believe. Anyway, back to Elvis. I was only 11 when the ‘King of Rock’n'Roll died and I didn’t know very much about him then, but just a couple of years later a double LP album with his greatest hits fell into my hands thanks to my brother-in-law (yep, I’ve mentioned him before, I’ve so many things to thank him for). I loved all his songs, from his first rockabilly sound to his beautiful ballads.
I know that some people like to highlight the fact that towards the end of his career he had sort of become an overweight shadow of his former brilliant self, but I always prefer to listen to the songs he recorded in his prime, at the top of his game, when he could sing anything he wanted, even gospel. What nobody can deny is Elvis Presley’s major contribution to popular music and culture in general.
As you can well imagine, it’s been tough for me to choose a couple of songs to post here. What sort of criteria was I supposed to support my choice on? In the end, I decided to resort to purely sentimental and personal reasons. Let me explain:
Love Me Tender was one of the first songs whose lyrics I managed to ‘decipher’ when I was a teenager and my English was very elementary. I would play the record over and over again until I got all the words right, or at least most of them. It’s a simple but powerful ballad with a beautiful melody.
Love me tender,
love me sweet,
never let me go.
You have made my life complete,
and I love you so.
Love me tender,
love me true,
all my dreams fulfilled.
For my darlin’ I love you,
and I always will.
(Chorus)
Love me tender,
love me long,
take me to your heart.
For it’s there that I belong,
and we’ll never part.
(Chorus)
Love me tender,
love me dear,
tell me you are mine.
I’ll be yours through all the years,
till the end of time.
(Chorus)
Heartbreak Hotel was Elvis’ first major hit and that kind of sound was something completely new for most people. It’s always funny to hear how scandalous and obscene it seemed at the time when ‘Elvis the pelvis’ moved his legs to the music in his peculiar style. The following is a TV show from the 50s, a truly historic document. Hope you enjoy it.
Well, since my baby left me, well I’ve found a new place to dwell
Well, it’s down at the end of Lonely Street, at Heartbreak Hotel
Where I’ll be…, I’ll be so lonely baby,
well, I’m so lonely
I’ll be so lonely I could die
Although it’s always crowded, you still can find some room
for broken-hearted lovers to cry there in the gloom
and be so, well they get so lonely, baby,
well they get so lonely,
They’re so lonely they could die
Now the bellhop’s tears keep flowin’,
the desk clerk’s dressed in black
Well, they’ve been so long on Lonely Street
they’ll never, never look back, and they get so
and they get so lonely, baby, well, they’re so lonely
well, they’re so lonely they’re afraid to die
Well, now if your baby leaves you, and you’ve got a tale to tell
Well, just take a walk down Lonely Street to Heartbreak Hotel
Well, you will be, you will be feeling so lonely, baby,
well, you will be lonely
You’ll be so lonely you could die
If you feel like browsing through Elvis Presley’s official website, check the link above.
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