Private Presley
Peach Pit Lyrics


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The two room shotgun house
The folks could hear her howls
The cotton bed sheets blood, my son
One less, when its all done

Love me tender like what keeps you well
My voice is back home while I'm in hell
Who's the ol' slew foot who took you from me
Cried oh Private Presley, she swayed like the trees

The bus line, people shout
Reach out with my hand to these sidewalk crowds
All of these faces, you can't see, with me
Just wanna go home, my river winds breeze

Love me tender like what keeps you well
My voice is back home while I'm in hell
Who's the ol' slew foot who took you from me
Cried oh Private Presley, she swayed like the trees

The Memphis sun still shone
Tupelo's air still filled my lungs
Alone except my songs, you're gone
Just bring me with you love

Love me tender like what keeps you well
My voice is back home while I'm in hell




Who's the ol' slew foot who took you from me
Cried oh Private Presley, she sways like the trees

Overall Meaning

The song "Private Presley" by Peach Pit tells the story of a soldier who is away from home and missing his loved one. The soldier describes his living situation, being in a two-room shotgun house where his family can hear his partner's howls through the thin walls. The lyrics imply that his partner may be going through a painful experience, represented by the bloodstained cotton bedsheets. The soldier also expresses his longing for his partner's love and "home" while he is stuck in "hell".


The chorus, "Love me tender like what keeps you well, my voice is back home while I'm in hell, who's the ol' slew foot who took you from me, cried oh Private Presley, she swayed like the trees," shows the soldier's desperation for his partner's love and his frustration with the fact that he cannot be with her. He wonders who or what has taken his partner from him and compares her movements to the swaying of trees. It's unclear what role Elvis Presley (referred to in the song as Private Presley) plays in the story, but he is likely a symbol for the soldier's homesickness and longing for a simpler time.


Overall, "Private Presley" is a poignant and emotional song about love, loss, and the struggles of being away from home during wartime.


Line by Line Meaning

The two room shotgun house
Describing the small, simple house that the singer lived in


The folks could hear her howls
The neighbors could hear the singer's loved one mourning and crying


The cotton bed sheets blood, my son
The singer's son was born in that bed, and it was a difficult birth with complications


One less, when its all done
Despite the birth, there is one less person in the artist's life when it's all over


Love me tender like what keeps you well
The artist wants to be loved gently and tenderly, like something that keeps a person healthy


My voice is back home while I'm in hell
The singer's voice is heard back home through his music, while he is suffering in a dark place


Who's the ol' slew foot who took you from me
Asking who caused the singer to lose his loved one


Cried oh Private Presley, she swayed like the trees
The artist, Private Presley, cried for his lost love as she swayed like the trees in the wind


The bus line, people shout
The artist is riding a bus where people are shouting and it's chaotic


Reach out with my hand to these sidewalk crowds
The artist wants to connect with the people on the sidewalks outside the bus


All of these faces, you can’t see, with me
Despite being surrounded by people, the singer feels alone and disconnected


Just wanna go home, my river winds breeze
The artist longs to go home and feel the peaceful breeze from the river


The Memphis sun still shone
Despite everything, the sun still rises and sets in Memphis


Tupelo's air still filled my lungs
The singer remembers the air in his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi


Alone except my songs, you're gone
The singer is alone except for his music, and his loved one is no longer with him


Just bring me with you love
The artist longs to be with his loved one, even in death


Cried oh Private Presley, she sways like the trees
Repeating the earlier line to emphasize the artist's grief and sense of loss




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Christopher Vanderkooy, Michael Pascuzzi, Neil Smith, Peter Wilton

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@diarmuidmalanaphy8465

The two room shotgun house
The folks could hear her howls
The cotton bed sheets blood, my son
One less, when its all done
Love me tender like what keeps you well
My voice is back home while I'm in hell
Who's the ol' slew foot who took you from me
Cried oh Private Presley, she swayed like the trees
The bus line, people shout
Reach out with my hand to these sidewalk crowds
All of these faces, you can't see, with me
Just wanna go home, my river winds breeze
Love me tender like what keeps you well
My voice is back home while I'm in hell
Who's the ol' slew foot who took you from me
Cried oh Private Presley, she swayed like the trees
The Memphis sun still shone
Tupelo's air still filled my lungs
Alone except my songs, you're gone
Just bring me with you love
Love me tender like what keeps you well
My voice is back home while I'm in hell
Who's the ol' slew foot who took you from me

Cried oh Private Presley, she sways like the trees



All comments from YouTube:

@findme3775

the intro is something that would play at the ending of a really good movie

@ansleymartin5484

find me right?

@aamara18

that made me sad for some reason, wow

@apoorv-vu4pd

and the outro is something that would play throughout a really chaotic life that ended rather abruptly

@newt_is_cute

Good idea

@MrSelvykins

This whole song makes me feel like I'm IN a movie, too good.

3 More Replies...

@skyly5678

Listened to this for the first time on the train and was not prepared the feelings I felt

@niayordanova8555

Imogen Lee relatable af

@kiheikush5394

I felt that 💙

@zoieestell3608

was also not prepared 🤣🕊

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