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.
Plantation Rock
Elvis Presley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll do the plantation rock
It's easy as can be
You'll wanna dance round the clock
Well it became a sensation
Rockin' on the plantation
Dancin' in the fields down to each dock
Now do the plantation rock
So come on bend your knees
Twist with ease side to side
Like the swaying trees keep in rhythm
Now have some pep double step
Shake right there like a rockin' chair
And stay with them
Well now you're right at home
Doin' the plantation rock
Just do it as you were shown
You'll wanna dance round the clock
Well just like on the plantation
Folks all over the nation
Started rockin' on each street and block
Gonna do the plantation rock
Do the plantation rock
Do the plantation rock
Do the plantation rock
The lyrics to Elvis Presley's song "Plantation Rock" encourage listeners to join in the fun while dancing a new style of dance called "Plantation Rock." The song explains how it's easy to do, and anyone can do it, and takes inspiration from the joyous atmosphere of a plantation dance. The singer invites the listener to sway their bodies side-to-side and move with the rhythm, bending their knees and shaking right where they are, ending the lyrics with a call to action for everyone to join and do the plantation rock.
The lyrics may seem quite straightforward, but beneath the surface, it also reveals the influence of black plantation culture and its impact on American music. The song's description of plantation dancing, the joyous atmosphere, and the invitation for everyone to join in the fun is a nod to the historical dances that occurred on plantations. During slavery, enslaved Africans often gathered to dance and socialize, and these dances were rooted in African culture but also influenced by European and Caribbean styles. These dances would have a significant impact on the evolution of American music, including rock and roll, which Elvis Presley would help pioneer.
Line by Line Meaning
Now come along with me
Join me in doing the Plantation Rock
We'll do the plantation rock
Let's do this dance called the Plantation Rock
It's easy as can be
This dance is very easy to learn
You'll wanna dance round the clock
You'll want to dance to this song all the time
Well it became a sensation
This dance became very popular
Rockin' on the plantation
People danced and sang while working in the fields
Dancin' in the fields down to each dock
From the fields to the docks, everyone was dancing to this song
Now do the plantation rock
Let's dance the Plantation Rock together
So come on bend your knees
Bend your knees to move your body
Twist with ease side to side
Move smoothly from side to side
Like the swaying trees keep in rhythm
Movement is like the swaying of trees to the beat
Now have some pep double step
Move with energy and take two steps
Shake right there like a rockin' chair
Shake your body like a rocking chair
And stay with them
Keep up with the rhythm
Well now you're right at home
You feel comfortable dancing the Plantation Rock
Doin' the plantation rock
Dancing the Plantation Rock
Just do it as you were shown
Follow the steps you were taught
You'll wanna dance round the clock
You'll want to dance all the time
Well just like on the plantation
Similar to how people danced on the plantations
Folks all over the nation
People all over the country
Started rockin' on each street and block
Began to dance the Plantation Rock on every street
Gonna do the plantation rock
Let's dance the Plantation Rock
Do the plantation rock
Dance the Plantation Rock
Do the plantation rock
Dance the Plantation Rock
Do the plantation rock
Dance the Plantation Rock
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Надя Попова
Элвис пресли. Легендарный певец, легендарный исполнитель. Самый лучший.
Marcia Brasileiro
Wonderful. Love this. Love Elvis !
jason smith
Great movie track!! should never have been dropped from film
Sean Fitzpatrick
@Danny B Side girls girls girls was pretty good movie good acting good cast the problem with the film too many bad songs they could have took 5 out and put plantation Rock in but overall 3lvis does a great job and girls girls he was a good actor plantation Rock a great song, 👍🏼✌🏼✋🏼
Danny B Side
And they keep earth boy in oh dear 🤯
Alan
It is better than some of the songs that were in the film- "We're Coming In Loaded" for example . An edited version surfaced in 1993.
FrAnK PeReZ
A rare Elvis gem and it's a fun one too! Enjoyed hearing this one very much Adem, interesting that this song was cut from Girls, Girls, Girls... I liked it! Enjoy your week! ... FrAnK
MsMoodyBlue
Love this!
motomichi okura
This is really A New Song for me, thank you.
Alli Kuikamoinen
You wanna dance around the clock! 🕺 It' s a big a mistake left this out to the picture and soundtrack? One of my favorites.. Plantation rock! 🏖🎸👍