Elvis Presley was a lot of things to a lot of people, as proven by the countless songs written from just as many differing perspectives about the King of Rock and Roll. For many, Presley was an early introduction to the thrills of rock ‘n’ roll. For others, Presley was a captivating film star. Many iconic stars in their own right cite Presley as a significant influence in childhood and beyond.
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From his early “Hound Dog” years to his Las Vegas residencies to his untimely death in 1977, the lore surrounding Elvis Presley is rich and varied. His presence in pop culture continues not only through the sonic and aesthetic choices of contemporary artists but also through direct (and indirect) references to him and his name in songs. Interestingly, these songs demonstrate just how many meanings Presley took on to his global listening audience.
Here are some of our favorite Elvis Presley references in songs (and what these songs reveal about the artist’s connection to the King).
“He Was the King” by Neil Young
If there were ever a suitable song to serve as Elvis Presley’s obituary, Neil Young’s “He Was the King” off his 2005 album, Prairie Wind, definitely comes close. The Canadian singer-songwriter begins each verse with the line, The last time I saw Elvis, followed by vignettes of the King of Rock and Roll’s career. Young mentioned watching Presley dancing with his guitar on television, acting in movies, and performing in Las Vegas, clad in his iconic bejeweled jumpsuits, as a blue-haired lady screamed he was the king.
Young’s ode to Presley summarizes not only the latter rock star’s diverse career but also what it was like to grow up watching these “phases” occur in real-time. Poetically, Young ends the song imagining Presley riding off in his pink Cadillac, the wind blowing through his hair, presumably toward a setting sun.
“Real Good Looking Boy” by The Who
One could argue that without Elvis, many of our most beloved rock stars who rose to fame in the 1960s and ‘70s might have chosen different career paths altogether. In the mid-1950s, Presley was transforming the minds of youth all across the globe, convincing them that maybe, just maybe, they could do what he was doing, too. The Who frontman Roger Daltrey was one of those kids. The British rock band’s 2004 track “Real Good Looking Boy” is an ode to what it was like seeing Presley for the first time, for better or worse.
For Daltrey, seeing Presley for the first time was an inspirational “I want to do that, too” moment. For guitarist Pete Townshend, it was a harsh reminder of his physical differences from the conventionally attractive rock star. In either case, the song powerfully reminds us of the profound emotional impact Presley’s mere presence had on most of the world at the height of his fame.
“Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles
Canadian songwriter Christopher Ward wrote “Black Velvet” after visiting Graceland, Elvis’ estate in Memphis, Tennessee, with a bus full of “Elvis fanatics.” Ward gave the song to his then-partner, Alannah Myles, which garnered the singer the 1991 Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and the 1990 Juno Award for Single of the Year. The sultry rock shuffle focuses on Elvis’ early life as a young boy in Tupelo and as a fresh-faced recording artist releasing cuts like “Love Me Tender.”
“Black Velvet” touches on the sexual implications of Presley’s meteoric rise to fame. His writhing hips and snarling lips were both incredibly controversial and equally appealing to less modest music lovers. The way he moved, it was a sin, so sweet and true, Myles sings. Always wanting more, he’d leave you longing for black velvet and that little boy’s smile, black velvet and that slow, southern style.
“Clean Elvis” by Dan Reeder
When it comes to classic American imagery, Elvis Presley shaking his hips with a high-strung guitar is right up there with apple pie and baseball. Presley dominated 1950s pop culture so much that he became a figurehead for it, and his time in the military only added to his strong American image. Folk cult hero Dan Reeder equates Presley with other darker elements of American life in his comical and fantastical track “Clean Elvis.” Amidst talk of one-eyed aliens and heavy sports cars, Reeder captures the feeling of disconnect and discontentment with the darker side of U.S. history.
When I say Vietnam, it sounds just like Coca-Cola, Reeder muses, equating war and sugary consumerism as defining facets of the U.S. experience. He ends the somewhat sardonic track with a plea to Elvis to help him. I, help me Elvis, I, come on now, Elvis, I can’t help falling in love with you.
“Johnny Bye-Bye” by Bruce Springsteen
Elvis Presley personified the rock ‘n’ roll tradition in more ways than one. He innovated and danced his way to the top of the charts in his early years, enjoyed the extravagant trappings of wealth at the height of his fame, and died in a tragic, untimely fashion, not unlike countless musicians who came before and after him. Bruce Springsteen’s “Johnny Bye-Bye” is an ode to the darker, less glamorous side of Presley’s life story. The song starts with a verse from Chuck Berry’s “Bye Bye Johnny,” which describes Johnny B. Goode moving to Hollywood to pursue a film career in addition to music.
By the end of the song, the shimmer of fame fades to reality. They found him slumped up against the drain with a whole lot of trouble running through his veins. “I remember I was sitting at home when somebody called me up and told me that [Elvis] had died,” Springsteen once said. “It’s something I still think about all the time… how somebody that had so much and was so alive inside could end up losing so bad and seeming so lonely.”
Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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