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.
Known Only to Him
Elvis Presley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll fear not the darkness when my flame shall dim
I know not what the future holds
But I know who holds the future
It's a secret known only to Him
In this world of fear and doubt
On my knees I ask the question
Then he tells me in my prayer
It's because I am trustworthy
He gives me strength far more than my share
Known only to him are the great hidden secrets
I'll fear not the darkness when my flame shall dim
I know not what the future holds
But I know who holds the future
It's a secret known only to him
In Elvis Presley's song "Known Only to Him," the lyrics speak of the power of faith and trust in a higher power. The opening lines suggest that there are great hidden secrets that only this higher power knows, but the singer need not fear what the future holds, even in moments of darkness. The lyrics suggest that the singer knows not what the future holds, but reminds listeners that this higher power holds the future and all the mysteries that come with it. The final line of the refrain, "It's a secret known only to Him," reinforces the idea that there are things that we are not meant to understand, and that the power of faith lies in trusting that there is a divine plan beyond our comprehension.
The second verse speaks to the singer's struggles with fear and doubt in this "world of fear and doubt." When faced with the question of why they must bear a "lonely, heavy cross," the singer turns to prayer and the voice of the higher power. The answer they receive is that they are trustworthy and that the power gives them strength to endure their struggles. While the lyrics are undoubtedly steeped in religious traditions, they speak to universal themes of trust, faith, and the strength that comes from looking beyond oneself for guidance and support.
Overall, the song suggests that there are forces at work in the world beyond our understanding, but that we need not fear them. Instead, we can find strength in leaning on our faith and trusting that the future is in good hands, even if those hands are invisible to us.
Line by Line Meaning
Known only to him are the great hidden secrets
There are secrets out there that are known only to God, and we may never understand them.
I'll fear not the darkness when my flame shall dim
Even when I'm facing death, I won't be afraid because I trust in God.
I know not what the future holds
I don't know what's going to happen, but I can trust that everything will be okay because God is in control.
But I know who holds the future
Even though I don't know what's going to happen, I know that God is in charge and will take care of me.
It's a secret known only to Him
There are some things that only God knows, and we have to trust that He has our best interests at heart.
In this world of fear and doubt
We live in a world that can be scary and uncertain.
On my knees I ask the question
When I'm feeling uncertain or afraid, I turn to God for guidance and answers.
Why a lonely, heavy cross I must bear
Sometimes in life we have to go through difficult times that we may not understand.
Then he tells me in my prayer
Through prayer, God can offer us comfort and guidance when we need it most.
It's because I am trustworthy
God trusts us to handle difficult situations and grow from them.
He gives me strength far more than my share
When we're struggling, God can give us the strength to overcome our obstacles and become stronger in the process.
Lyrics © RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STUART HAMBLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wiselykim511
Known only to him are the great hidden secrets
I'll fear not the darkness when my flame shall dim
I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future
It's a secret known only to him
In this world of fear and doubt on my knees I ask the question
Why a lonely, heavy cross I must bear
Then he tells me in my prayer, it's because I am trustworthy
He gives me strength far more than my share
Known only to him are the great hidden secrets
I'll fear not the darkness when my flame shall dim
I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future
It's a secret known only to him (only to him)
@jimmykarlsson2567
It's almost ridiculous how AWSOME Elvis voice is, he is not human sometimes. Not a single wrong note. Unbelievable 💪💪💪
@jamiemcmurtrey3154
The only Grammys he received were all of his Gospel Songs 🎶 you can feel his whole heart and soul poured into them. He’s singing unto the Lord 🙏🏻❤️
@MarySmith-bl7xg
A friend and I sang this at my mother's funeral in 2014 (she had requested it). I knew the song because I had a cassette of Elvis singing gospel songs.
@brandonrecknagel998
I'm proud to say my great, great grandmother wrote this song :)
@johnblack9298
Really?
@brandonrecknagel998
@John Black yes. My grandma has the original hand-written lyrics somewhere framed. My great great grandma was Fleta Dove Young. She was married to a preacher around Aberdeen, Mississippi and they were traveling Evangelists.
@johnblack9298
Incredible
I love that song especially by Elvis
I believe it was sung at Elvis funeral
@MasterKota2142
Funny because a quick Google search shows a guy named Stuart Hamblen wrote and first recorded it in 1952. 🤔😂
@carolperkins4666
I still have this record and love it so much.
@user-lm8vi7nh3s
Nothing can b more beautiful than this hymn sung by Elvis! Thank you Elvis for this song. It soothes me and helps me to be in prayer with my Heavenly Father as all the hymns Elvis sings do!! See you n Heaven Elves❤️🙏