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.
An American Trilogy
Elvis Presley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His truth is marching on
His truth is marching on
Woo, thank you
Thank you, you're fantastic, thank you very much
Elvis Presley's song An American Trilogy is a medley of three older songs, including "Dixie," which was known as a Confederate anthem, a Unionist abolitionist song called "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," and "All My Trials," a Jamaican lullaby sung by slaves. The lyrics reflect the division and brutality experienced in America during the Civil War, as well as the turbulent history of race relations.
In the first verse, Elvis sings "Oh I wish I was in the land of cotton, old times there are not forgotten," which refers to Dixieland, the Southern states that seceded during the Civil War. The line "Look away, look away, look away Dixieland" represents the desire to look back in nostalgia to a time when many whites believed things were simpler, and to ignore the painful reality that while life may have been easier for them, it was in large part due to the enslavement of Black people.
The chorus "Glory, glory hallelujah, His truth is marching on" shifts the focus to a Unionist abolitionist song called "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," which glorifies the nation's victory over slavery. The line "His truth is marching on" speaks to the belief that the truth about equality and justice for all is inevitably moving forward and progressing, despite the resistance and pushback from those who don't believe in its message. Finally, the last verse "So hush little baby, don't you cry, you know your daddy's bound to die, but all my trials, Lord will soon be over" is a modified version of a Jamaican lullaby sung by slaves that Elvis learned from an African American gospel singer named Ed Enoch. This final verse mirrors the desire of African Americans to hold on to hope and faith in times of hardship and the belief that one's time on earth is short, but justice and freedom will eventually prevail.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I wish I was in the land of cotton
I long to be in the South where cotton is the main crop
Old things they are not forgotten
The past is still remembered and celebrated
Look away, look away, look away Dixieland
Dixieland is a place to look towards and embrace
Oh I wish I was in Dixie, away, away
I desire to be in the South, far away from my current location
In Dixieland I take my stand to live and die in Dixie
I am committed to living and dying in the South
'Cause Dixieland, that's where I was born
I was born in the South and it will always be my home
Early Lord one frosty morning
One cold morning, long ago
Glory, glory hallelujah
Praise and honor be to God
His truth is marching on
His powerful message is spreading and making a difference
So hush little baby
Be calm and don't worry
Don't you cry
There is no need to shed tears
You know your daddy's bound to die
Your father will have to pass away someday
But all my trials, Lord will soon be over
All the challenges and difficulties will soon come to an end
His truth is marching on
The power and influence of His message continue to grow
Lyrics © Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Michael E. Renzi, Richard Strauss
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marcelluswallace4598
Anyone else feel like they are going to cry every time they hear this?
@willp.8120
It is because it hits you with the love of the South and America, something that people hold dear. It also honors God.
@capjoe70
Amen brother.
@iamspartacus6713
no
@bettykidd6768
I do, really hurts at this time in our history.
@autumnlambes9220
That's the Elvis way
@rinigirl777
Does anyone else get goose bumps listening to this???
@cyndieriksen
Especially around 2:30
@EdwardJayeNaval
always bro
@EdwardJayeNaval
@@cyndieriksen mine's 3:35