Shake, Rattle and Roll

Rediscovering the Timeless Appeal of Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley, the King of rock n roll, a heartthrob we’ve been missing since ages. The guy breathed soul into music, a charisma we hardly get to see these days. His music was a concoction of dynamism, zeal, and obviously, pure rock n roll. Talk about “Heartbreak Hotel,” “All Shook Up,” or “Jailhouse Rock,” these weren’t just regular Billboard hits, they painted the portrait of an era. They were the hymns of wild teenage hearts and dance craze. Presley not only sang about shaking things up but he indeed did, from the customary suit-n-tie music scene of his time to his swaying hips that got a nation falling head over tees for him. His influence was so hard-core, it’s not an exaggerated statement saying Presley founded the teenage rebellion.

Just like we wear our favorite tees symbolizing our persona, the 80s and 90s dolled up Elvis was a symbol of non-conformity. Dive deeper, and you’ll find that the time of Presley was truly the golden era, brimming with zestful living contrasted against this current monotone generation. When you were plugging in to play Super Mario, wearing your favorite Presley tee or hood, that was indeed living! Elvis was shaking it up before Miley Cyrus knew how to crawl. And what do we get today? Bunch of auto-tuned beats and songs about superficial heartbreaks. No folks, give me Presley over Pitbull any given day.

Taking a trip down to Graceland, walking in the shoes of the King, that’s the kind of thrill we should seek. So, dust off your old records and tees, let’s tune into some pure rock n roll, and let Presley show you how it’s genuinely done. For me, playing an old Elvis tune on a jukebox, wearing my favorite hood, that feels home. Long live the King, he might not be here in flesh, but in spirit, he’ll always make us shake, rattle and roll.

Sam