August 17, 1977, 40 years ago tomorrow: A King is born, Thierry Daniel Henry in Les Ulis, outside Paris, France. (I'll have a tribute for him tomorrow.)
I commemorate Elvis. I pass no judgement on how his life spun out of control and ended. I would rather think about the good he did, and the performances he gave.
I don't know if Elvis Presley ever saw a soccer game. I do know he played high school football, loved to listen to Harry Caray broadcast St. Louis Cardinals baseball on the radio, posed for at least 2 photos with Muhammad Ali, and attended the 1st game of the Memphis Southmen of the World Football League in 1974.
He couldn't have known Thierry Henry. I'd like to think he would have appreciated Henry's talent, style, and flamboyant celebrations.
The world is a mess right now, and it needs transformation. It was a mess and needed transformation in 1956, when Elvis first hit the national consciousness, and transformed it, perhaps without realizing he was doing it.
It was a mess and needed transformation on June 20, 1968, when Elvis recorded this song, written by Walter Earl Brown. It was far beyond anything he'd done at his 1956-57 debut in terms of social relevance, and it showed that he could be as relevant as the Beatles or Bob Dylan.
After it was played for him, Elvis said, "I'm never going to sing another song I don't believe in. I'm never going to make another picture I don't believe in."
As far as the movies went, he kept his vow. He made only 2 more: Charro, a "revisionist Western" in the style of what Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah were doing at the time; and Change of Habit, where he played an inner-city doctor who, perhaps unintentionally, makes a nun played by Mary Tyler Moore consider leaving her order to marry him.
Yes, Elvis played an inner-city doctor. It worked. It was his last feature film, and it's considered one of his good ones.
And it lived up to the ideal of this song. An ideal we need right now. Regardless of politics, I'd like to believe there is no way that Elvis would have put up with the kind of garbage we saw over the last weekend, and are still getting from Donald Trump today. Elvis was a soldier. He was a patriot. And he believed in equality. His generosity was attested to by many people. He knew what it was like to be poor, and unbelieved-in.
He believed in a God of love. And he believed that America should be a nation of equality and ideals, where everyone was welcome.
Sing it, man.
There must be lights burning brighter, somewhere.
Got to be birds flying higher in a sky more blue.
If I can dream of a better land
where all my brothers walk hand in hand
tell me why, oh, why, oh, why can't my dream come true?
Oh, why?
If I can dream of a better land
where all my brothers walk hand in hand
tell me why, oh, why, oh, why can't my dream come true?
Oh, why?
There must be peace and understanding sometime.
Strong winds of promise that will blow away the doubt and fear.
If I can dream of a warmer sun
where hope keeps shining on everyone
tell me why, oh, why, oh, why won't that sun appear?
We're lost in a cloud
with too much rain!
We're trapped in a world
that's troubled with pain!
But as long as a man
has the strength to dream
he can redeem his soul and his life!
with too much rain!
We're trapped in a world
that's troubled with pain!
But as long as a man
has the strength to dream
he can redeem his soul and his life!
Deep in my heart, there's a trembling question.
Still, I am sure that the answer, answer's gonna come, somehow.
Out there in the dark, there's a beckoning candle!
Oh, yeah!
And while I can think
while I can talk
while I can stand
while I can walk
while I can dream
please let my dream come true
right now!
Let it come true right now!
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