Songs about Elvis

[timothy_sideburns]

I've been trying to write a song about Elvis for some time, and it got me thinking about songs that are about Elvis or reference him. There must be hundreds. Here are five songs about Elvis that have meant something to me.

1977 : Danny Mirror "I remember Elvis Presley"
The first song I recall hearing that was about Elvis. I bought the single as a child Elvis fan.


1991 Mark Cohn's Walking in Memphis
I thought it was cool that this mentioned the jungle room


1992 REM Man on the Moon
They were one of my favourite bands at the times so I was delighted they mentioned the king.


2001 Gillian Welch 'Elvis Presley Blues'
I was a huge fan of hers and I thought this song brilliantly captured the boy/man behind the legend. Such a lovely sentiment and I bet she read Guralnick before writing this.


2011 Danny & the Champions of the World 'The Colonel and the King'
Danny is a brilliant British songwriter in the Neil Young/Spirngsteen vein and this song is probably the only one I've heard that references Flaming Star and Pacer Burton!


What are your favourite songs about Elvis or that reference Elvis?

[Hard Rocker]

The greatest ever tribute to Elvis by a dedicated, die-hard fan, the late great Philip Paris Lynott...

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[chop983]

Alannah Myles, Black velvet.

[r&b]

Big Train From Memphis - John Fogerty - Centerfield LP

[ale]

Calling Elvis - Dire Straits.....the best one!!! Love Mark Knopfler

[King Volcano]

David J Haskins (Love and Rockets / Bauhaus)
"Memphis Ghosts" (MCA Records, 1992)

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[norrie]

Stray Cats - Elvis On Velvet
Showaddywaddy-Just a Country Boy
Neil Young-The Last time I saw Elvis
Drive By Truckers-Carl Perkins' Cadillac
Paul Simon-Graceland


5 good ones off the top of my head

norrie

[Hobbes]

I always thought Black Velvet was cool because some of it sounds like it comes from the pages of Elaine Dundys "Elvis & Gladys":

"Mama's dancin, baby on her shoulders" and "Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high"

[Spanish_Eyes]

Bruce Springsteen: Johnny Bye Bye (3 or so alternate versions)

[splanky]

In the most recent edition of the Norwegian Fan Club magazine Flaming Star there is a list of more than 450 different tribute songs to Elvis . This amazing list was compiled by Håvard Einarsrud from the club .

There is reson to believe that there are some hundreds more , considering that people of various nationalities have written such songs . I think Mr. Einarsrud limited himself by only including songs in English . Like Norwegian artist Trond Granlund who sang the fabulous song intitled Say We're Not Apart .

My first reaction to the list was to check songs beginning with the letter A , and I realized that Aloha To The King by German singer Rio was not on the list .

So , therefore it will be interesting to see where this thread leads . Probably it will be hard to follow , unless somebody could summerize now and then alphbetically , because after a while it is hard to keep track of what had been written on previous pages .

[MikeFromHolland]

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These sites mentions many more:

List of songs about or referencing Elvis Presley
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_about_or_referencing_Elvis_Presley


232 Songs about Elvis
http://www.mixedup.com/elvissongs.htm

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[jetblack]

One of my favourites.



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Andy

[jetblack]

One of my most played by the fabulous KATMEN (2013)

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Andy

[rlj4ep]

My favorite is from Kathy Westmoreland, "You Were the Music" (1978).

rlj

[Domino]

Not one of my faves.


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[Rob]

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Song starts at about 3:28.

[Swedish]

Song starts at 2:40 (This is the Skeeter Davis The End of the World with a new text)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNYUQbVdYoI

[Domino]

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[Domino]

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[TCB Band]

Supposedly Scott Matthews had a dream being on a plane with Elvis, I believe. Can't remember all the details but it led to this song - Riding with the King

[JohnnyByeBye]

One that I don't see mentioned yet, or in the lists mentioned, is an unreleased Bruce Springsteen song called "I'm Turning Into Elvis". It has plenty of references to Elvis, and sure enough, a bit of different angle on the subject than most

http://www.springsteenlyrics.com/lyrics.php?song=imturningintoelvis

[sylvain]

[TCBell]

For me, this says it all...

Thin Lizzy - Do Anything You Want To

There are people that will investigate you
They'll insinuate, intimidate and complicate you
Don't ever wait or hesitate to state the fate that awaits those who
Try to shake or take you
Don't let them break you

You can do anything you want to do
It's not wrong what I sing it's true
You can do anything you want to do
Do what you want to

People that despise you will analyse then criticise you
They'll scandalise and tell lies until they realize
You are someone they should have apologised to
Don't let these people compromise you
Be wise too

You can do anything you want to do
It's not wrong what I sing it's true
You can do anything you want to do
Do what you want to

Hey you you're not their puppet on a string
You can do everything
It's true if you really want to
You can do anything you want

Just like I do

You can do anything you want to do
It's not wrong when I sing it's true
You can do anything you want to do
Do what you want

Hey you
No can do
Hey you
Yes you

Elvis is dead
The king of Rock'n Roll is dead
Elvis is dead

[King Volcano]

Love for Elvis and more interestingly, for his loyal fans, haunts the album and original sleeve notes for Ray Gun Suitcase by indescribable "alternative" band Pere Ubu (1975 - now), led by Cleveland legend David Thomas (see the portion of the book The Shape of Things to Come (or articles) by Greil Marcus on him for further info, he's a big fan).

Turquoise Fins describes a visit to a somewhat sad and amateur Elvis museum in the middle of nowhere, but concludes "..did you ever wonder why Elvis fans are so much nicer than the people who laugh at them?..."
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Memphis "..marching on The Home of the Blues"
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Lyrics to the above can be found here if you're interested, he has a weird voice and is not immediately easy to understand:

http://www.ubuprojex.com/lyrics/rgs.html

[Dan_T]

For me, this says it all...

Thin Lizzy - Do Anything You Want To

There are people that will investigate you
They'll insinuate, intimidate and complicate you
Don't ever wait or hesitate to state the fate that awaits those who
Try to shake or take you
Don't let them break you

You can do anything you want to do
It's not wrong what I sing it's true
You can do anything you want to do
Do what you want to

People that despise you will analyse then criticise you
They'll scandalise and tell lies until they realize
You are someone they should have apologised to
Don't let these people compromise you
Be wise too

You can do anything you want to do
It's not wrong what I sing it's true
You can do anything you want to do
Do what you want to

Hey you you're not their puppet on a string
You can do everything
It's true if you really want to
You can do anything you want

Just like I do

You can do anything you want to do
It's not wrong when I sing it's true
You can do anything you want to do
Do what you want

Hey you
No can do
Hey you
Yes you

Elvis is dead
The king of Rock'n Roll is dead
Elvis is dead

What a great track !! I had Black Rose on Vinyl back in the '70's but I must have skipped this one...love it.

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