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.

Hawaiian Sunset
Elvis Presley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hawaiian sunset peeping from the sea
Smiles and says Aloha to his sweetheart Hawaii
The drowsy islands slumber one by one
Close their sleepy eyelids say goodnight to the sun

Then Hawaii like millions of times before
Blossoms in her lover's arms once more
Too soon the sunrise will wake her from her sleep

So until tomorrow, sleep Hawaii sleep.

Overall Meaning

The song Hawaiian Sunset by Elvis Presley talks about the beauty of Hawaii and its relationship with the sunset. The opening lines of the song describe the Hawaiian sunset, peeking out from the sea and saying Aloha to Hawaii, a term used for both "hello" and "goodbye" in Hawaiian culture. The second line personifies Hawaii as the sweetheart of the sunset, depicting a romantic relationship between the two natural elements.

As the sun sets, the islands slowly fall into a peaceful slumber, closing their eyes and bidding farewell to the sun. The imagery in these lines is serene and calming, suggesting a sense of tranquility that comes with the end of the day. The next lines depict the lover's reunion between the sunset and Hawaii, a reunion that has taken place millions of times before. This imagery further emphasizes the romantic tone of the song, while also suggesting the cyclical nature of nature.

Line by Line Meaning

Hawaiian sunset peeping from the sea
The sun is setting over the ocean in Hawaii and casting a beautiful, warm glow.

Smiles and says Aloha to his sweetheart Hawaii
The sun seems to be greeting and saying farewell to Hawaii, like a lover would to their sweetheart.

The drowsy islands slumber one by one
As the sun sets, the islands of Hawaii become quiet and peaceful, as if they are going to sleep.

Close their sleepy eyelids say goodnight to the sun
The islands seem to be shutting their eyes as they say goodnight to the sun, ready for a restful sleep.

Then Hawaii like millions of times before
This is a common occurrence in Hawaii, where the sun sets over the ocean, bidding goodbye to the land.

Blossoms in her lover's arms once more
Hawaii seems to come alive in the warm embrace of the setting sun, as if it is being held by a lover.

Too soon the sunrise will wake her from her sleep
As much as Hawaii enjoys the embrace of the setting sun, it knows that the morning sun will soon come and wake it up.

So until tomorrow, sleep Hawaii sleep.
The song bids Hawaii goodnight and hopes that it has a restful sleep until the next day's sunrise wakes it up.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: ROY C. BENNETT, SID TEPPER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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