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.
You Gave Me a Mountain
Elvis Presley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mother died giving me life
Deprived of the love of a father
Blamed for the loss of his wife
You know Lord I've been in a prison
For something that I never done
It's been one hill after another
I've climbed them all one by one
But this time, Lord you gave me a mountain
A mountain you know I may never climb
It isn't just a hill any longer
You gave me a mountain this time
My woman got tired of heartaches
Tired of the grief and the strife
So tired of working for nothing
Just tired of being my wife
She took my one ray of sunshine
She took my pride and my joy
She took my reason for living
She took my small baby boy
But this time, Lord you gave me a mountain
A mountain you know I may never climb
It isn't just a hill any longer
You gave me a mountain this time.
The lyrics of Elvis Presley's song 'You Gave Me a Mountain' tell the story of a man who has faced numerous challenges in life. To start with, his mother died while giving birth to him, and he had no one to call father because his dad blamed him for the death of his wife. Furthermore, he spent time in prison for a crime he did not commit, and he had to climb one hill after another. Despite all this, the biggest challenge he faces in the song is the loss of his wife and child. His wife got tired of the heartaches, grief, and strife that came with being married to him, and took away their child and his reason for living. The man is left with a mountain of sorrow, pain, and emptiness that he may never be able to climb.
The song describes a man that has faced a lot of adversity in his life, and despite overcoming several obstacles, he encounters one that seems insurmountable. The mountain represents the man's sadness, and the fact that he may not be able to face it alone, and may never overcome it. The song also describes the loneliness and helplessness that come with losing a loved one, and the feeling of having nothing left to live for.
Line by Line Meaning
Born in the heat of the desert
I was born in a hot and dry environment.
My mother died giving me life
Unfortunately, my mother passed away while giving birth to me.
Deprived of the love of a father
Growing up, I never had a father figure in my life.
Blamed for the loss of his wife
My father held me accountable for the death of my mother.
You know Lord I've been in a prison
I feel like I have been imprisoned or trapped in my life for a long time.
For something that I never done
I have been confined for a crime that I did not commit.
It's been one hill after another
Life has been a series of challenges, one after the other.
I've climbed them all one by one
Despite the difficulties, I have managed to overcome each obstacle that has come my way so far.
But this time, Lord you gave me a mountain
This time, I have been given an obstacle that seems nearly impossible to overcome.
A mountain you know I may never climb
I fear that this challenge is too great for me to face alone and I may never be able to overcome it.
It isn't just a hill any longer
This challenge is so much larger and more daunting than anything I have faced before.
My woman got tired of heartaches
My partner grew weary of the constant emotional pain and suffering in our relationship.
Tired of the grief and the strife
She had enough of the sadness and confusion in our lives.
So tired of working for nothing
She became exhausted with the lack of progress and success in our lives.
Just tired of being my wife
Ultimately, she could no longer continue being in a relationship with me.
She took my one ray of sunshine
My partner took away the only positive thing in my life at that time.
She took my pride and my joy
With her departure, I lost my sense of self-worth and happiness.
She took my reason for living
This loss left me with no motivation or purpose to continue living.
She took my small baby boy
My partner also took away our child, leaving me completely alone and distraught.
But this time, Lord you gave me a mountain
Despite everything I have lost, I have been given an opportunity to face an even greater challenge and overcome it.
A mountain you know I may never climb
Although it seems impossible, I am determined to conquer this new obstacle and regain control of my life.
It isn't just a hill any longer
This challenge is unlike anything I have ever faced before and requires a great deal of strength and perseverance.
You gave me a mountain this time
Despite the difficulties, I am grateful for this chance to prove myself and come out stronger on the other side.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Marty Robbins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Tcb0835
No entertainer ever came close to this level of charisma and stage presence. He changed the world forever 👑 🎶
@bettinahansen7630
Not to forget his one in a million voice!
@brettdenisegibbs6533
❤
@user-jg4do2ky9b
EVs bff GDF Sarena bff Saren ❤ GDF Sarena
@gravitationalgeometry2997
Thank you
@user-xn7gy2ii1g
2024.and we are still listening to Elvis. The greatest singer ever and the most beautiful man,who ever lived on this earth ❤
@Mr14558
👑👑👑
@BillyAnderson1402
That's the king of rock and roll for you
@annecampbell1644
He will always be the BEST…I am 85 and I have always loved him….there will never be another like him!!
@Henrydean-qx3tt
Same here. Elvis is a great singer and he will forever be missed. I agree with you he will always be the best 🙏😊