Thursday Thirteen #29 -- All Hail the King

THIRTEEN GREAT ELVIS SONGS
as selected by
The Gal Herself



Elvis quite literally changed the world. He successfully fused country and rhythm and blues into rock and roll, and we’re all forever in his debt.

He also remains a never-ending source of campy joy to me. I love watching him come out in a cape, a jumpsuit and a belt buckle as big as my head as the band plays “2001: A Space Odyssey.” I adore it when he incongruously does karate moves in the middle of a ballad. I devour even his corniest movies and can recite the dialog. (Can you name this movie? “Them ain’t tactics, honey. That’s jes’ the beast in me.”)

But the goofy, gauche Hollywood and Vegas Elvises (Elvi?) are unable to erase the indelible imprint of his music. The time I spend making fun of peanut butter and banana sandwiches is equal to the time I spend in awe of his talent.

Thursday is the anniversary of the day Elvis Left the Building Forever, and I’m celebrating his life with 13 of my favorite Elvis songs. Even if you're not a fan, there must be at least one song here that you're familiar with. The King is that big a part of our culture.

1. Can’t Help Falling in Love with You. Like the river flows surely to the sea, darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be.
2. Burning Love. Lord Almighty! I feel my temperature rising …
3. Steamroller Blues. I’m gonna inject your soul with some sweet rock and roll, and shoot you full of rhythm and blues.
4. Suspicious Minds. We’re caught in a trap. I can’t walk out, because I love you too much, baby.
5. You Don’t Know Me. No, you don’t know the one who dreams of you at night, who longs to kiss your lips, who longs to hold you tight.
6. Love Me Tender. For my darling, I love you, and I always will.
7. Jailhouse Rock. If you can’t find a partner, use a wooden chair and ROCK!
8. Heartbreak Hotel. Since my baby left me, I found a new place to dwell. It’s down at the end of lonely street at Heartbreak Hotel.
9. Kentucky Rain. Seven lonely days and a dozen times ago, I reached out one night and you were gone.
10. If I Can Dream. If I can dream of better land where all my brothers walk hand in hand, tell me why can’t my dream come true?
11. Viva Las Vegas. There’s blackjack and poker and the roulette wheel. A fortune won and lost on every deal. All you need’s a strong heart and nerves of steel.
12. I Was the One. She lived, she loved, she laughed, she cried. And it was all for me.
13. Saved. I used to smoke and drink and dance the hootchie coo. And now I’m standing on this corner, praying for me and you.


Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. Tink's is important -- about an eating disorder called BED
2. Sue over at the Urban Zoo shares what makes "the Zookeeper Happy"
3. Suprina is presents the pride of her home state
4. Like all charming, delightful and timely TT'ers, Malcolm has devoted his list to Elvis
5. Jenny McB finally admits that she'll never hear from my man, Clooney (and 12 other things)
6. Damn that Sharon for tormenting us with rebus puzzles!
7. Harlekwin has some truly gorgeous new banners, esp. the guy watching the TT on his bigscreen TV
8. Starrlight has a list of rocker quotes. Appropriate and sad for the anniversary of The King's death.
9. Like all charming, delightful and timely TT'ers, Gattina has devoted her list to Elvis
10. Damozel's TT should be required reading for young and old alike. It's about the separation of powers, and it's terrific!
11. Get happy and celebrate with Ed's joyous TT
12. Gabriella introduces slang words -- and a plug -- for her charity event for the Freeport Humane Society.
13. Sparky Duck takes us on a tour of his bookshelf
14. Nicole Austin takes on the weather. Specifically hurricanes.
15. What Works for Us shares words of wisdom
16. Jeremy's TT is about illicit drug use
16. Erin shares 13 of her favorite poems
17. Frigga has an interactive, fill-in-the-blank TT
18. Mo's TT is about manx cats in general, and Sushi the Birthday Girl specifically
19. Janet has worked her way through the alphabet to her "X" TT
20. Impworks has a culinary TT from Matta's International Foods in Liverpool, England
21. Jennie lists 13 lines of memorable movie dialog about looooove


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August Happiness -- Wednesday 15

I'm going to dinner and then a play with my theater buddy, a former boss and long-time friend. We both work erratic hours so we enroll in the Broadway on Chicago subscription series, knowing that if we invest a chunk of change on tickets, we'd be more likely to make the time to get together.

So at least once a month I eschew jeans, dress like a grown-up, enjoy a very nice dinner with good hootch, and see a top-quality theatrical production. We've been doing this so long that I've forgotten to appreciate what a terrific city Chicago is and all is has to offer. A thriving theater district and world-class restaurants are just a 15-minute train ride from my front door. How lucky can a gal get?

"In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups."

Today at lunch I saw "the police, who investigate crime" in action. Apparently evil was done at my McDonald's. One of Chicago's finest strode in, went behind the counter and, before the curious gaze of the lunch crowd, made his way to the office where he had a brief but intense conversation with the manager and a young Hispanic female civilian (meaning she wore neither a McDonald's nor a CPD uniform). My guess is that either another customer grabbed her purse or harassed her in some way. (Since the cop came alone, it couldn't have been anything that put our lives in imminent danger.)

I hope the girl is OK. She really looked rattled. And I hope that when Dick Wolf rips this story from today's headlines, I approve of the extra who portrays me.