Black Star
Elvis Presley Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Every man has a black star
A black star over his shoulder
And when a man sees his black star
He knows his time, his time has come

Black star don't shine on me, black star
Black star keep behind me, black star
There's a lot of livin' I gotta do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Black star

When I ride I feel that black star
That black star over my shoulder
So I ride in front of that black star
Never lookin' around, never lookin' around

Black star don't shine on me, black star
Black star keep behind me, black star
There's a lot of livin' I gotta do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Black star

One fine day I'll see that black star
That black star over my shoulder
And when I see that old black star
I'll know my time, my time has come

Black star don't shine on me, black star
Black star keep behind me, black star
There's a lot of livin' I gotta do




Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Black star

Overall Meaning

Elvis Presley's song Black Star is a contemplation on mortality and the inevitability of death. The "black star" is a metaphor for death, which hangs over every man's shoulder and eventually marks the end of his time on earth. The singer is aware of the black star's presence and realizes that he cannot escape it. Instead, he chooses to look forward, to focus on the living rather than the dying. The black star is always behind him, a constant reminder to make the most of his time, to pursue his dreams and to live life to the fullest.


The chorus of the song is a plea to the black star: "Black star don't shine on me, black star / Black star keep behind me, black star." The singer acknowledges that his time will come eventually, but he is not ready for it yet. He begs for more time to make a few dreams come true before the black star claims him. The final verse speaks to the singer's acceptance of death: "One fine day I'll see that black star / That black star over my shoulder / And when I see that old black star / I'll know my time, my time has come." The singer is at peace with the black star's arrival and knows that his time has come.


Overall, Elvis Presley's Black Star is a poignant and reflective song about life, death, and the importance of living in the moment. It implores the listener to make the most of their time while they can, and to never let the black star cast a shadow over their lives.


Line by Line Meaning

Every man has a black star
Each person has a fate that they are destined to fulfill


A black star over his shoulder
This fate follows them throughout their life


And when a man sees his black star
When someone realizes their destiny


He knows his time, his time has come
They understand that their life is coming to an end and their fate must be fulfilled


Black star don't shine on me, black star
The artist does not want to be consumed by their fate


Black star keep behind me, black star
They want to keep their fate at bay and not let it control their life


There's a lot of livin' I gotta do
The singer still has much to experience in life before they are ready to accept their fate


Give me time to make a few dreams come true
They still have hopes and aspirations they wish to accomplish before their time runs out


When I ride I feel that black star
The artist is constantly aware of their looming fate


That black star over my shoulder
Their destiny is always present but they try to ignore it


So I ride in front of that black star
They try to live their life as normally as possible while also avoiding their fate


Never lookin' around, never lookin' around
The artist does not want to acknowledge the presence of their fate


One fine day I'll see that black star
Eventually, the singer will have to accept their destiny


And when I see that old black star
Once they finally accept their fate


I'll know my time, my time has come
They will understand that their life is coming to an end and they must fulfill their destiny




Lyrics © RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Sherman Edwards, Sid Wayne

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

edd ortiz

Every man has a black star
A black star over his shoulder
And when a man sees his black star
He knows his time, his time has come

Black star don't shine on me, black star
Black star keep behind me, black star
There's a lot of livin' I gotta do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Black star

When I ride I feel that black star
That black star over my shoulder
So I ride in front of that black star
Never lookin' around, never lookin' around

Black star don't shine on me, black star
Black star keep behind me, black star
There's a lot of livin' I gotta do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Black star

One fine day I'll see that black star
That black star over my shoulder
And when I see that old black star
I'll know my time, my time has come

Black star don't shine on me, black star
Black star keep behind me, black star
There's a lot of livin' I gotta do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Black star.



All comments from YouTube:

Soren Aleksander

This has GOT to be the inspiration for Bowie"s last album before dying

elucid8

+Soren Aleksander Agreed.

elucid8

+Soren Aleksander "When I see that Blackstar, I'll know my time has come."

Prideful Buffoon In Sweden

What does this mean? What does it have to do with David Bowie?
Death and coming back as another person?
There is some shit here I don´t understand, but it is something going on.

Sally Angelworks

@Prideful Buffoon In Sweden Listen to Bowie's blackstar and you will know.

Prideful Buffoon In Sweden

@Sally Angelworks.. Could you try to tell me what you see, please?

25 More Replies...

Pineapple zombie

Love this 😀 ❤

Because of this i weep

Happy Birthday to Elvis and Bowie xx

edd ortiz

Every man has a black star
A black star over his shoulder
And when a man sees his black star
He knows his time, his time has come

Black star don't shine on me, black star
Black star keep behind me, black star
There's a lot of livin' I gotta do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Black star

When I ride I feel that black star
That black star over my shoulder
So I ride in front of that black star
Never lookin' around, never lookin' around

Black star don't shine on me, black star
Black star keep behind me, black star
There's a lot of livin' I gotta do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Black star

One fine day I'll see that black star
That black star over my shoulder
And when I see that old black star
I'll know my time, my time has come

Black star don't shine on me, black star
Black star keep behind me, black star
There's a lot of livin' I gotta do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Black star.

Doc Chicken

Thank you!

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