Elvis Presley‘s demise is one of the most tragic in pop culture history. However, the tragedy of Elvis Presley is often viewed through what the world lost, not what the man himself lost. Needless to say, struggling with addiction is one of the hardest and emotionally taxing trials the human condition entails. Elvis was no stranger to this, and people have often criticized him on the speculation that he did not want to change.
There is no question that people viewed Elvis differently at the end of his career than at the beginning. Consequently, his legacy took a hit because he is remembered not only as the deified young man but also as a self-destructive victim of the excesses of rock ‘n’ roll life.
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Elvis seemingly knew all of this during the middle of his demise and expressed his awareness in five simple yet tragically self-aware words. Though, as we know, he did not act on that awareness.
Elvis Seemingly Wanted the Same Thing as Everyone Else: To Change
In the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy, Presley’s longtime bodyguard and friend, Red West, recalled the five simple words Elvis said, alluding to his desire to get clean and turn his life around. For context, Red West had known Elvis since high school, so he’d seen his complete transformation.
Recalling the moment Elvis opened up, West stated, “This night he wasn’t high. He had taken a tranquilizer, and I just sort of came out with it, because when you start to think of all the gifts he has bought us and all the good deeds he has done, it’s hard to just sit there and take it without caring for the guy.”
“I mean, man, I love the guy. There were times I felt like beating the s—t out of him, but there is no getting past it: I love him even if he doesn’t love me. This night I told him that all the s—t he was swallowing had changed his personality. I told him I wished he could get back to like he was in the old days,” added West.
Subsequently, Elvis said those five simple words. According to West, those words were, “Yeah, I agree with you.” Did the man have some flaws? Absolutely, and some major ones at that. However, maybe the next time you think about the King’s demise, you also think about what he lost too. Even if he did so of his own accord.
Photo by Bettman/Getty Images
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