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.

Harbor Lights
Elvis Presley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I saw the harbor lights
They only told me we were parting
Those same old harbor lights
That once brought you to me.

I watched the harbor lights
How could I help it?
Tears were starting.

Good-bye to golden nights
Beside the silvery seas.

I long to hold you dear,
And kiss you just once more.
But you were on the ship,
And I was on the shore.

Now I know lonely nights
For all the while my heart keeps praying

That someday harbor lights
Will bring you back to me.

Overall Meaning

The song "Harbor Lights" by Elvis Presley is a nostalgic ballad about a love that was once filled with golden nights beside the silvery seas but has now ended, leaving the singer alone and watching the harbor lights that once brought his love to him. The lyrics are filled with sadness and longing as the singer reflects on the past and dreams of a future where the harbor lights will bring his love back to him. The song is a beautiful reflection on lost love and the power of memory to keep the hope of a reunion alive.

Line by Line Meaning

I saw the harbor lights
I caught a glimpse of the harbor lights

They only told me we were parting
The lights indicated that we were about to separate

Those same old harbor lights
The familiar lights of the harbor

That once brought you to me.
That previously guided you to me

I watched the harbor lights
I observed the harbor lights

How could I help it?
I couldn't resist doing so

Tears were starting.
I began to cry

Good-bye to golden nights
Farewell to wonderful times

Beside the silvery seas.
By the reflective ocean waters

I long to hold you dear,
I yearn to embrace you lovingly,

And kiss you just once more.
And plant my lips on yours again.