Humanities post #6

Elvis Presley was born in 1935 in Mississippi. He was raised in a religious family, and grew up singing in church services and the community. When he was discovered by Sam Phillips, who was thrilled to have found a white man who sung like he was black (a combination he was sure would be incredibly successful), Elvis quickly began to gain popularity with hits such as “Hound Dog” and “Heartbreak Hotel.” Now, he has been indicted into four musical halls of fame, won multiple Grammys, and is regarded as the King of Rock and Roll. His cultural significance is inestimable. Whether or not you enjoy his music, it is impossible to ignore the mark he has made on our culture since his explosion onto the musical scene. From Vegas impersonators to pop-culture references (such as the lyrics in a Katy Perry song “…dressed up like Elvis”), Elvis is undeniably a part of our nation’s heritage.

“All Shook Up,” the Elvis tune we chose to choreograph our dance to, was composed by Otis Blackwell, and recorded and released by Elvis in 1957. In less than three weeks, it claimed the #1 spot on the Billboard Top 100 chart, and it stayed there for 8 weeks. It also made its mark as #1 on the R&B chart for 4 weeks and #3 on the country charts. Although Elvis had many, many #1 hits in his career, this one is particularly significant because it was his first #1 UK single.

Any Elvis song is generally considered representative of rock ‘n’ roll; after all, he is The King. This song is particularly appropriate for a couple of reasons: first, it was one of his #1 hits; second, there is a musical featuring many of Presley’s songs titled “All Shook Up;” and thirdly, the song itself uses many familiar rock ‘n’ roll musical conventions such as a boogie woogie beat, a dominant piano (typical of rock ‘n’ roll in the early 50s), and a strong, consistent, backbeat.

After spending some time listening to various Elvis songs trying to choose one for our dance, I feel like I am starting to understand why he was such a hugely influential figure. Before this class, I had never listened to Elvis, and all I knew about him was that he committed suicide and Vegas was the place to go to see impersonators. Now, I have a general understanding of his personal history and his amazing talent and variety. His songs are lyrically and musically diverse (which surprised me, mostly because I knew very little about classic rock at all, and had minimal expectations for the genre). His musical progression over the years is incredible, and yet (with his gradual descent into addiction and depression) deeply saddening.

I learned a lot of new things working on this piece. First, that I love “Suspicious Minds.” Second, there was a good reason so many people loved Elvis: he’s amazing. And third, that I will probably always find something radically new to me in the world of music if I am willing to step outside my comfort zone and my generational bubble and admit that yes, I love listening to the music of (x) generation.

Watch it on Youtube: Suspicious Minds or All Shook Up