Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American sin… Read Full Bio ↴Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was a pioneer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in January 1956 and became a number one hit in the United States. With a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, he became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, made him enormously popular—and controversial.

In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender. Drafted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He held few concerts however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood movies and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. In 1968, following a seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed television comeback special Elvis, which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley gave the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, Aloha from Hawaii. Years of prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate, just 42 years of age.

Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century. Commercially successful in many genres, including pop, country, blues, and gospel, he is the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. He won three competitive Grammys, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.

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Elvis Presley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A rose grows wild in the country
A tree grows tall as the sky
The wind blows wild in the country
And part of the wild, wild country, am I

Wild, wild, like the deer and the dove
Wild and free is this land that I love
A dream grows wild in the country

A love grows tall as the sky

A heart beats wild in the country

And here with a dream in my heart
Part of the wild, wild country, am I

Overall Meaning

Elvis Presley's song "Wild in the Country" is a powerful representation of nature and the sense of freedom found in the great outdoors. The opening verse of the song describes the natural beauty of the country, where roses grow wild and trees reach to the sky. The wildness of the country is further emphasized in the following line, "The wind blows wild in the country." By the end of the verse, the singer declares that they are "part of the wild, wild country," indicating that they feel a strong connection to nature and the sense of freedom it represents.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the theme of wildness and freedom, with the repeated lines "Wild, wild, like the deer and the dove / Wild and free is this land that I love." The idea of a dream growing wild and love reaching as tall as the sky adds to the sense of limitless possibility found in nature. The final verse brings the theme of wildness back to the personal level, with the declaration that the singer's heart beats wild in the country and that they are part of it. The overall message of the song is that nature provides a sense of freedom and wildness that is essential to the human spirit.

Line by Line Meaning

A rose grows wild in the country
Nature flourishes on its own in the rural areas

A tree grows tall as the sky
The natural environment is majestic and awe-inspiring

The wind blows wild in the country
The natural elements are unpredictable and untamed

And part of the wild, wild country, am I
I embody the characteristics of the rustic landscape with my free spirit and untamed persona

Wild, wild, like the deer and the dove
I am as untamed as the animals that roam the wilderness

Wild and free is this land that I love
The natural world is unpredictable and uncontrolled, which is what makes it beautiful

A dream grows wild in the country
The natural environment inspires creativity and imagination

A love grows tall as the sky
My emotions and passions are heightened and boundless in the idyllic countryside

A heart beats wild in the country
The natural world induces strong emotions and feelings within me

And here with a dream in my heart
I am motivated and inspired by the beauty of the rural landscape

Part of the wild, wild country, am I
I am an integral part of the uncontrolled and unpredictable nature of the countryside

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: GEORGE DAVID WEISS, HUGO PERETTI, LUIGI CREATORE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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