He Was the King
Neil Young Lyrics

The last time I saw Elvis
Neil talks about several times he saw Elvis and the impression Elvis left.

He was shooting at a colour TV
Neil remembers Elvis shooting at the television in the process of his frustration with the music industry.

The phones were ringing in the pink motel
Neil recalls the commotion from the hotel where they both were staying, and where they had been jamming together.

And the rest is history
Neil reflects on the fame that arrived with their music, telling us that there is no need to go in detail on what happened at that time.

He was the King
Neil considers Elvis the king of rock and roll.

He was singing a gospel song
Neil pictures Elvis singing gospel in church where engaging everyone is expecting to undergo a wild rage of rock.

You could tell he had the feeling
Neil is convinced that Elvis sings with passion that goes beyond the words being sung and hits home with his audience.

And the whole world sang along
Neil thinks that the music Elvis sang, whatever genre it was, had a worldwide appeal and was accepted everywhere it was played.

He was up on the silver screen
Neil recalls how Elvis moved on to become a movie star and how that propelled his fame even further.

Pushing a plough in a black and white movie
Neil remembers one of the many films Elvis had been involved with, where it was a farm-based drama and he was essentially playing the role of a farmer.

And everybody started to scream
Neil recalls the hysteria around the movies featuring Elvis and how he could make the crowd go wild just through his movements.

It was some kind of Vegas dream
Neil reminisces on Elvis performing in Las Vegas, where there was probably some kind of special effect that made it appear as though Elvis was in a dream.

Spotlights flashed on a silver cape
Here Neil describes some of the effects on stage when Elvis performed in Vegas, making him look like a superhero of sorts with his silver cape.

And a blue-haired lady screamed
As Neil remembers the concert, he visualizes some women in the audience being so overwhelmed that their hair turned blue from screaming.

He was fronting a three-piece band
Neil recollects one of the gigs where Elvis was performing in front of a three-piece band, suggesting the kind of musical performance the King had in his later years.

Rocking on the back of a flatbed truck
Here Neil pictures Elvis performing on the back of a flatbed truck, which could refer to the many performances that Elvis would give in his hometown before he became famous.

With an old guitar in his hand
Neil is referring to Elvis's early days when he started as a musician with his trusted old guitar being his only instrument.

He was riding in pink Cadillac
Neil recollects Elvis traveling in a pink Cadillac, which was a distinctive vehicle that Elvis would come to be associated with in his later years.

wind was blowing through his hair
Neil recalls Elvis with his hair blowing in the wind as he sped down the highway in his Cadillac, maybe indicating his rush to fame.

And he never did look back
Neil suggests here that Elvis never looked back from his success and always had his eyes firmly fixed on the future that lay before him.

Thank you very much
Neil recollects the famous statement of Elvis after every concert, thanking his many fans for sharing the magical moment with him.