This was the cut used in Cadillac Records. They cut off the Vegas parts and, amazingly, had a song, the voice, from Elvis that implicitly told, Here is the first White Man who sounded like us. The cut is from 1969, when enough of the original Elvis remained that this version of My Babe (link to Little Walter’s original) could be used for the 1956 Elvis. Amusing that Chuck Berry was first thought to be country—they didn’t know what in hell to call Maybelline and neither would I. Something we never heard before, absolutely. Something we could dance to, ditto. Though you had to dance like hell to keep up. And what did he mean about Long Tall Sally, balling all night long? (God, white kids were stupid. And protected.)

There is a short clip in the movie of Elvis doing his hip thing. The swivel. The legs. I was maybe eleven or twelve, and I had strange new feellings. I think I done wrote this: When he appeared onscreen in Love Me Tender, when the moment came when the camera panned to Elvis, I felt as I am certain I would feel should Jesus appear. A feeling that did not diminish during the whole film, though they had these pesty Other Actors getting in the way. Was that also budding sexuality? I prefer to call it a religious experience.

That’s about it. Elvis had something eternal that Tom Parker couldn’t pound out of him in two dozen rotten beach movies. What a squandering of a historically important talent, and jesus, he could move.

Tags: elvis, jesus, rock music

Comments are closed.