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.

He's Your Uncle Not Your Dad
Elvis Presley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

He's your uncle, not your dad
He's the best friend you ever had
So, come on, dig, dig, dig in until it hurts
Just remember Pearl Harbor

The Alamos and nothing could be worse

He's your favorite relative

And he needs a lot to live
So just bring, bring, bring everything until you bleed
And he'll send back what he don't need

If you're not in form, ten-forty's your salvation
By deprivation of temptation
Dark and blondes I hear are not deductible
Oh, say, can you see if there's anything left for me?

When he calls you as he may do
Don't be frightened, red white and blue
Just be thankful you don't live in Leningrad
He's your uncle, not your dad

If you're honest, you don't have to shake and shiver
The food is lousy up the river
It's give and take and he does all the taking
Oh, say, can you see if there's anything left for me?

Life has two things you can't subtract
Death and taxes to be exact

So just pa-pa-patriotically declare
He's your uncle, he's your uncle, not your dad

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Elvis Presley's song 'He's Your Uncle Not Your Dad' is an ironic twist on the patriotic values and social expectations of the American society. The song plays with the idea of nepotism power dynamics and critiques how people in power take advantage of the less privileged. In the song, Elvis sings to a young man reminding him of the importance of his uncle and encouraging him to give everything he has to his uncle, regardless of how much it hurts.

Elvis starts by telling the young man that his uncle is not his dad but his best friend. He then uses Pearl Harbor and Alamos, two historical events that are deeply ingrained in the American psyche, to evoke patriotism and convince the young man to give everything he has to his uncle. He tells him that his uncle is his favorite relative and needs a lot to live. To emphasize how important it is to give everything possible to his uncle, Elvis asks the young man to dig and bring everything he has until he bleeds.

The lyrics then take a political turn as Elvis sings about taxes, deductions, and how people in power take advantage of the less privileged. He tells the young man that honesty is the best policy and that even though his uncle does all the taking, he should still be thankful that he doesn't live in Leningrad. Elvis ends the song on a patriotic note, reminding the young man of the importance of declaring his uncle as his own.

Overall, 'He's Your Uncle Not Your Dad' is a song that criticizes the social and political power dynamics in the American society. Elvis uses his lyrics to comment on the American values of patriotism, nepotism, and honesty, and encourages his listeners to question the status quo.

Line by Line Meaning

He's your uncle, not your dad
Don't expect him to act like or fulfill the role of your father in your life.

He's the best friend you ever had
He's someone you can count on and trust completely.

So, come on, dig, dig, dig in until it hurts
Don't be afraid to give everything you have, even if it's difficult or painful.

Just remember Pearl Harbor, the Alamos and nothing could be worse
Remember the sacrifices made by those who came before you, and be grateful for what you have.

He's your favorite relative
You love him more than anyone else in your family.

And he needs a lot to live
He requires a lot of support and assistance to get by in life.

So just bring, bring, bring everything until you bleed
Give him everything you can, even if it hurts you.

And he'll send back what he don't need
He will return anything he can't use or doesn't want.

If you're not in form, ten-forty's your salvation
If you're not physically or mentally fit, filling out your tax return can be a way to redeem yourself.

By deprivation of temptation
By avoiding temptation and making the right choices in life.

Dark and blondes I hear are not deductible
Expenses for dating or other personal activities are not tax deductible.

Oh, say, can you see if there's anything left for me?
Questioning whether or not there will be anything left for yourself after giving so much to him.

When he calls you as he may do
He may call on you for help or support.

Don't be frightened, red white and blue
Stay brave and patriotic in the face of adversity.

Just be thankful you don't live in Leningrad
Be grateful for the freedoms and opportunities you have in America.

If you're honest, you don't have to shake and shiver
If you are truthful and sincere, you won't have to worry or be afraid.

The food is lousy up the river
Life in prison is unpleasant and difficult.

It's give and take and he does all the taking
Your relationship with him is one-sided, with him taking more than he gives.

Life has two things you can't subtract
You can't change or eliminate death and taxes.

Death and taxes to be exact
The certainty of death and the inevitability of paying taxes.

So just pa-pa-patriotically declare
Declare your love and loyalty to him and your country.

He's your uncle, he's your uncle, not your dad
Remember that he is your uncle, not your father, and act accordingly.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BENJAMIN WEISMAN, SID WAYNE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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