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.

Maybellene
Elvis Presley Lyrics

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Maybellene, why can't you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true?
You've started back doing the things you used to do.

As I was motivatin' over the hill
I saw Maybellene in a coup de ville.
A Cadillac a-rollin' on the open road,
Nothin' will outrun my V8 Ford.

The cadillac doin' 'bout ninety-five,
She's bumper to bumber rollin' side by side.

Maybellene, why can't you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true?
You've started back doing the things you used to do.

The cadillac moved to a hundred and four
Got hot and wouldn't do no more
It got cloudy and started to rain
Tooted my horn in the passing lane
The rain water blowin all under my hood
I knew that was doin' my motor no good

Maybellene, why can't you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true?
You've started back doing the things you used to do.

Maybellene, why can't you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true?
You've started back doing the things you used to do.

The motor cooled down, the heat went down
And that's when I heard that highway sound.
The Cadillac a-sittin' like a ton of lead
A hundred and ten a half a mile ahead.
The Cadillac lookin' like it's sittin' still
And I caught Mabellene at the top of the hill.

Maybellene, why can't you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true?

You've started back doing the things you used to do.
You've started back doing the things you used to do.

Overall Meaning

The song Maybellene by Elvis Presley is an adaptation of the original song by Chuck Berry, which was released in 1955. The song is a tale about a man's pursuit of a woman named Maybellene who has recently returned to her old ways. The singer of the song is driving in his V8 Ford when he spots Maybellene in a beautiful Cadillac. He then proceeds to race her on the open road, and the two vehicles are neck and neck until the Cadillac overheats and pulls over to the side of the road. The singer, who continues on, eventually catches up to Maybellene at the top of the hill.

The song is significant because it was one of the first popular hits in the rock and roll genre. It introduced audiences to the unique sound of rock and roll, and its popularity helped to establish Elvis Presley as a major music star. The song's lyrics are simple and straightforward, but they capture the spirit and energy of the early days of rock and roll. It is a testament to the cultural significance of the genre, which would go on to inspire countless musicians and fans in the decades to come.

MaybelleneElvis Presley Lyrics

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Maybellene
Elvis Presley Lyrics