It was quite a few years back that i got introduced to the legacy of lilting melodies that the 'king of rock and roll', Elvis Presley, had left behind. For this ,i must thank my elder brother,who most kindly bequeathed on me his priceless collection of Elvis gems(as i am inclined to call those cassettes and cds).
It didn't take me long to realize that Elvis was special.His songs, ranging from romantic ballads such as "love me tender" or " a fool such as i" , to rock numbers ,such as " jailhouse rock" and "heartbreak hotel" ,all had the special quality of being sung straight from the heart. And maybe because Elvis used to pen most of his songs himself, his intensity permeated the lyrics as well.
Elvis also had this truly great quality of being detached from the God-like position his fans had anointed him to. He always remembered his early days as a shy middle-class boy struggling to work his way up the ladder of fame. This genuine humility not only ensured that he avoided the traps that the politics within the glamour industry would lay for him, but it also enabled him to bring to the fore issues that no superstar had erstwhile cared for .
The following song is a sample of the aforementioned quality:
In The Ghetto
It didn't take me long to realize that Elvis was special.His songs, ranging from romantic ballads such as "love me tender" or " a fool such as i" , to rock numbers ,such as " jailhouse rock" and "heartbreak hotel" ,all had the special quality of being sung straight from the heart. And maybe because Elvis used to pen most of his songs himself, his intensity permeated the lyrics as well.
Elvis also had this truly great quality of being detached from the God-like position his fans had anointed him to. He always remembered his early days as a shy middle-class boy struggling to work his way up the ladder of fame. This genuine humility not only ensured that he avoided the traps that the politics within the glamour industry would lay for him, but it also enabled him to bring to the fore issues that no superstar had erstwhile cared for .
The following song is a sample of the aforementioned quality:
In The Ghetto
As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
'Cause if there's one thing that she don't need
It's another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto
People, don't you understand
The child needs a helping hand
Or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day
Take a look at you and me,
Are we too blind to see,
Do we simply turn our heads
And look the other way...
Well the world turns
And a hungry little boy with a runny nose
Plays in the street as the cold wind blows
In the ghetto
And his hunger burns
So he starts to roam the streets at night
And he learns how to steal
And he learns how to fight
In the ghetto
Then one night in desperation
A young man breaks away
He buys a gun, steals a car,
Tries to run, but he don't get far
And his mama cries
As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man
Face down in the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto
As her young man dies,
On a cold and grey Chicago mornin',
Another little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
In the ghetto
In the ghetto
Though not one of his chart #1 singles(he has a career record
of 38 chart toppers to his name), this song was one of the most
popular ones.
long live the King......
