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.

If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side
Elvis Presley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't know just what I'd do
If the Lord wasn't walking by my side
When I was drifting (when I was drifting on the sea of a despair)
And I was wandering (I was wandering if Jehovah's up there)
When Jesus found me,(Jesus found me in my sinful life)
He heard me praying (he heard me praying on my knees at night)
Now I'm singing (Now I'm singing this happy song)
Because I'm happy (because I'm happy as I go along)

And I don't know (I don't know) just what I'd do
If the Lord wasn't walking by my side
What would I do, (What would I do when a tear fills my eyes)
What would I do (What would I do when it's my time to die)
Well I'd be lonely, discouraged
Burdened on the way
If the Lord wasn't walking by my side every day

I'd be so friendless (I'd be friendless all alone and blue)
And I'd be helpless (I'd be helpless, wouldn't know what to do)
And I don't know (I don't know) just what I'd do
If the Lord wasn't walking by my side

(What would I do) What would I do when the tears fill my eyes
(What would I do) What would I do when it's my time to die
(I'd be lonely, discouraged, burdened on the way)
If the Lord wasn't walking by my side every day

I'd be so friendless, (I'd be friendless all alone and blue)
I'd be so helpless (I'd be helpless, wouldn't know what to do)
And I don't know (I don't know) just what I'd do
If the Lord wasn't walking by my side every day

If the Lord (wasn't walking) wasn't walking by my side
(wasn't walking by my side)

Overall Meaning

The song "If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side" by Elvis Presley is a spiritual or gospel song that talks about the importance of having God in one's life. The lyrics express the singer's gratitude and dependence on God when he was lost and wandering, and how he found happiness and purpose through his faith. The song also explores the fear and uncertainty of what life would be like if God were not with him every step of the way.

The chorus "And I don't know just what I'd do if the Lord wasn't walking by my side" is repeated several times throughout the song which emphasizes how lost the singer would feel without God guiding him on his path in life.

The verse "When Jesus found me, he heard me praying on my knees at night. Now I'm singing this happy song because I'm happy as I go along" emphasizes how the singer's life changed for the better after finding God. He went from a life of despair to a life of hope and joy because of his faith.

Overall, the song is a testament to the power of faith and how having belief and trust in God can provide comfort and guidance in times of distress.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't know just what I'd do
Not knowing what I would do

If the Lord wasn't walking by my side
If God was not present in my life

When I was drifting (when I was drifting on the sea of a despair)
When I was lost and hopeless

And I was wandering (I was wandering if Jehovah's up there)
When I was uncertain about the existence of God

When Jesus found me,(Jesus found me in my sinful life)
When Jesus saved me from a life of sin

He heard me praying (he heard me praying on my knees at night)
He heard my prayers when I was seeking redemption

Now I'm singing (Now I'm singing this happy song)
Now I am joyful and grateful

Because I'm happy (because I'm happy as I go along)
Because of the happiness that God has given me

What would I do, (What would I do when a tear fills my eyes)
What would I do when I am sad and crying

What would I do (What would I do when it's my time to die)
What would I do when I am facing my mortality

Well I'd be lonely, discouraged Burdened on the way
I would feel alone, disheartened, and burdened

If the Lord wasn't walking by my side every day
If God was not present in my life every day

I'd be so friendless (I'd be friendless all alone and blue)
I would be completely alone and sad

And I'd be helpless (I'd be helpless, wouldn't know what to do)
I would feel powerless and unsure of what to do

If the Lord wasn't walking by my side every day
If God was not present in my life every day

If the Lord (wasn't walking) wasn't walking by my side
If God was not present in my life

(wasn't walking by my side)
If God was not present in my life

Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Henry Slaughter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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