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.
And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind
Elvis Presley Lyrics
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Walking barefoot by the stream
Come on to me, Your hair's softly falling
On my face as in a dream
And the time will be our time
And the grass won't pay no mind
Saying nothing, lying where the sun is
My lips touch you, with their soft wet kisses
Your hands gentle in reply
And the time will be our time
And the grass won't pay no mind
Child, touch my soul with your cries
And the music will know what we've found
I, hear a hundred good-byes
But today I hear only one sound
The moment we're living is now
Now now now now now now now
Young bird flying, and a soft wind blowing
Cools the sweat inside my palms
Close my eyes, hear the flowers growing
As you lay sleeping in my arms
And the time will be our time
And the grass won't pay no mind
No the grass won't pay no mind
"And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind" is a song that is filled with metaphors as Elvis Presley sings about experiencing love amidst nature. The song has a very relaxed tone that is accentuated by acoustic guitar riffs playing in the background. In the first verse, the lyrical persona hears God calling and walks towards him barefoot by the stream. The invitation is to come as one's hair is softly falling on his face as in a dream. The grass that is not paying attention is a metaphor that means nobody is watching or judging, thus giving the couple a private space to be together.
The second verse is more about physical intimacy - baking under the sun, gentle touches, and soft wet kisses, all in a tranquil space where the grass won't pay attention. Elvis encourages his partner to use her cries to touch his soul, and the music will know what they have found. He hears a hundred goodbyes, but today he can only hear one sound as time stops when they are together. The final verse talks about a young bird flying in the air, carrying the burdens of life away. They are optimistic about the present and happy to be in each other's arms.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen easy, you can hear God calling
If you pay attention, you can hear the voice of God calling you.
Walking barefoot by the stream
You are walking barefoot next to the stream.
Come on to me, Your hair's softly falling
Come closer to me, I see your soft hair falling on my face.
On my face as in a dream
It feels like a dream to have your hair fall on my face.
And the time will be our time
We'll have all the time in the world.
And the grass won't pay no mind
The grass doesn't care about what we do, so let's enjoy our time together.
Saying nothing, lying where the sun is
We're not saying anything and just lying where the sun is shining on us.
Baking down upon our sides
The sun is so hot that we can feel it on our sides.
My lips touch you, with their soft wet kisses
I'm gently kissing you and my lips feel soft and wet.
Your hands gentle in reply
You respond gently with your hands.
Child, touch my soul with your cries
Touch my soul with your emotional cries.
And the music will know what we've found
Our feelings will be understood by the music we create together.
I, hear a hundred good-byes
I've heard many goodbyes before.
But today I hear only one sound
Today I only hear one sound, which is our love for each other.
The moment we're living is now
We need to cherish this moment because it's happening right now.
Now now now now now now now
We need to appreciate it now, immediately, without delay.
Young bird flying, and a soft wind blowing
There's a young bird flying and a soft wind blowing around us.
Cools the sweat inside my palms
The wind cools my sweaty palms.
Close my eyes, hear the flowers growing
I close my eyes and hear the sound of flowers growing.
As you lay sleeping in my arms
You're sleeping peacefully in my arms.
And the time will be our time
We'll have all the time we need for each other.
And the grass won't pay no mind
The grass doesn't care about us, so let's just focus on our love.
No the grass won't pay no mind
The grass will never care about us and our love, so let's just be happy together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NEIL DIAMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tonysalaski
This is why he’s still king! Singers today can’t touch him
@jimcalifwin3760
Yes. With tears.
@user-xb5ng8mx4h
Amen !
@Solimarsouza2736
Maravilhoso eterno.❤❤❤❤❤
@jdona2504
@@Solimarsouza2736❤
@teresapren3266
Thank you Neil for writing this beautiful song for Elvis .I love 💕 it ..
@Amy26Alice
Yes....Beautiful song 🎵
@cristinicolae2124
❤
@Gabriel-gv1mx
Elvis had such a sublime voice, his diction and angelic timbre was effortless and, until this day, remains untouchable.
@scoobeeturpin
Thank you for putting into words what I could not. You are absolutely, perfectly spot on.