The King and I

Whether you believe he is dead or not, the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death (or disappearance for the non-believers) is getting close again. I'm personally a believer. I think he is gone or he or his handlers would have cashed in on the Reality TV bonanza like so many other former rock celebrities (Brett Michaels, Gene Simmons, and Ozzy Osbourne) whose fame has sadly faded with age and the age of their groupies.

Is it too far of a stretch to imagine that if Elvis had not died in 1977 that his larger than life existence would have been the perfect premise for a pathetic, train wreck spectacle of a reality show centered on him? Couldn't you see the King, overweight, shuffling around Graceland in a prescription drug induced stupor, wearing sequined Dickies coveralls, and a cape made out of a king-sized pillowcase clothes pinned around his flabby neck? He would be crooning some of his favorite tunes through the halls of his mansion punctuated by uncontrollable flatulence as hangers on still clung to him tighter than his makeshift cape trying to cash in on what, if anything, was left of his fame and fortune in the post MTV digital music era.

Don't get me wrong. As a kid and early teen, I liked Elvis and his music and I still do. I was exposed to rock and roll at an early age through my mom's Elvis 45s and albums. While my friends were rocking to Kiss, I was rocking to the King. I even preferred fat Elvis to those crazy makeup-wearing dudes that looked like ladies. I was rocking to Burning Love and Suspicious Minds while my friends were jamming to Detroit Rock City and secretly tearing up to Beth. I did not make the connection at the time, but even if Kiss was not my thing then, Elvis was part of the rock and roll evolution that taught the youth that they could safely rebel against the status quo through music and song (a rebellion I practice to this day even at my age). This rock and roll evolution led to and inspired Kiss and their outrageous antics on stage as well as many other bands and individual artists that preceded Kiss and those that would follow. The influence of Elvis on future pop/rock celebrities goes beyond his singing talent, stage presence, and commercial appeal. His memory also serves as a warning of the dark side of fame. It was sad enough that Elvis died as a result of the excessive amounts of "prescription" drugs in his system prescribed by his own personal Dr. Feel Good, but it was even worse that he had become a overweight parody of himself by the end of his life.

Elvis serves as a marker for his rock idol celebrity successors for not only how high a poor child from nowhere can climb, but also how far and fast you can fall and how pathetic you can look during that descent. This dual nature of fame as personified by the King may explain why his ghost haunts many songs before and after his death.

In memory of the anniversary of his death and what it represents to all those that take that precarious walk in those blue suede shoes of fame, I have compiled a list of some of these lyrical hauntings to show how Elvis lives (even for believers) if not in body, at least in spirit and in the minds of many modern day singers as they channel him through song while trying to cope with their own personal demons of celebrity, fame, success, and excess. *

My, My, Hey, Hey (Out of the Blue and Into the Black)- Neil Young

The king is gone but he's not forgotten
This is the story of Johnny Rotten
It's better to burn out 'cause rust never sleeps
The king is gone but he's not forgotten
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.

The Visitor - The Reverend Billy C. Wirtz

She didn't look too good and yeah and I knew it was close to the end
and I tried to smile and cheer her up, but it's kind of hard to lose a friend
and then she looked up at me and gave me a little wink,
Said "Don't worry Hoss, it's not as bad as you think.
I've been everywhere and you know I've done everything.
My only regret in life was I never got to meet the King."
And I said, "Are you talking about Jesus?"

She said, "Oh no, bless my soul, I'm talking about the boy from Memphis,
the King of Rock and Roll."
She said, "Billy, I got all of his records. And I even got a lock of his hair.
Well maybe if I'm good, I'll see him when I get up there."

Round Here - Counting Crows

Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand
She said she'd like to meet a boy who looks like Elvis
She walks along the edge of where the ocean meets the land
just like she's walking on a wire in the circus
She parks her car outside of my house
Takes her clothes off says she's close to understanding Jesus

Johnny Bye Bye - Bruce Springsteen

Hey little girl with the red dress on
There's party tonight down in Memphis town
I'll be going down there if you need a ride
The man on the radio says Elvis Presley's died

We drove to Memphis the sky was hard and black
Up over the ridge came a white Cadillac
They drawled out all his money and they laid him in the back
A woman cried from the roadside "Oh he's gone, he's gone"

They found him slumped up against the drain
With a whole lotta trouble running through his veins

Free Falling - Tom Petty

She's a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America, too
She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis
Loves horses and her boyfriend, too

Calling Elvis - Dire Straits

Calling Elvis - is anybody home?
Calling Elvis - I'm here all alone
Did he leave the building?
Or can he come to the phone?
Calling Elvis - I'm here all alone

Why don't you go get him - I'm his biggest fan
You gotta tell him - he's still the man
Long distance baby - so far from home
Don't you think maybe you could put him on?

Porcelain Monkey - Warren Zevon

From a shotgun shack singing Pentecostal hymns
Through the wrought iron gates to the TV room
He had a little world, it was smaller than your hand
It's a rockabilly ride from the glitter to the gloom

Left behind by the latest trends
Eating fried chicken with his regicidal friends
That's how the story ends
With a porcelain monkey
He threw it away for a porcelain monkey
Gave it all up for a figurine
He traded it in for a night in Las Vegas
And his face on velveteen

Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis) - Cowboy Junkies

I only want to say
That if there is a way
I want my baby back with me
'cause he's my true love
my only one don't you see?
And on that fateful day
Perhaps in the new sun of May
My baby walks back into my arms
I'll keep him beside me
forever from harm

American Pie - Don McLean

Oh, and while the King was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lennon read a book of Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music diedIf Dirt were Dollars - Don Henley

I was flyin' back from Lubbock
I saw Jesus on the plane
...or maybe it was Elvis
You know, they kinda look the same

Man on the Moon - R.E.M.

Now, Andy did you hear about this one?
Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Hey Andy are you goofing on Elvis?
Hey, baby.
Are we losing touch?

RockStar - Nickelback

I wanna be great like Elvis without the tassels
Hire eight body guards that love to beat up a**holes
Sign a couple autographs
So I can eat my meals for free

*These song lyrics are for educational and reference purposes only and are written and performed by the artists indicated.