My friend, Susan, wrote me today with a suggestion for a new page...and while I haven't put together a lot of material for this page, I have decided to begin constructing the page.  Then I will add more as time goes by and as I refresh my memory from days long ago.  Needless to say, since I became friends with Jesse, I haven't gone back looking over the clues, etc. the way I did back when I was publishing my newsletter.  Phew!! That was 19 years ago!

Susan's suggestion was that we show examples of the times that Elvis left clues for us in his music near the end of his career.  Sometimes, he changed the words of a song, sometimes he chose songs of a particular genre or with a special title, sometimes he called attention to a certain song by announcing, before singing it, something about the song to get people to focus their attention upon his "message" song,  and he chose the songs for his last recording session to relate to last farewells, tears at a grave, etc. 

And so, I will begin with a very favorite clue/message song which he sang live during one of his last concerts...may have been the last.  The song is "Where No One  Stands Alone".  He called special attention to this song and placed much emphasis on the fact that he had never sung this song on stage before in his life.  He sprang this song on the backup singers, saying they had never rehearsed it as he called out those who he wished to accompany him.  Then, best of all, he said he was going to play the piano because he knew the chord changes.  He then sang it with so much feeling.  Just magnificent.

When we hear him sing these lyrics, knowing what we do now, it is so clear that he was singing about the unhappy and lonely times in his own life.  Remember also that he was telling many people around him prior to August, 1977 that he was "...so tired of being Elvis Presley".

"Like a king I may live in a palace so tall, with great riches to call my own.  But I don't know a thing in this whole wide world that's worse than being alone."