rebel char That is 100% true Elvis came from poverty and Ghetto such a down to Earth man

@richiedagger87 Why we need to label people?

I used to work at concerts and have met some music legends. BB King, however, was the person who left the biggest impression. You have to keep it on a professional level and not bother the artists but he approached me and thanked me for the concert afterwards!

Elvis learned to sing in the black churches. He said this many times .

true

I didn't think about that until you mentioned it. We grew up poor in a small town. Our father left. Even when he was there, we had no food.

Oof. That hit me. More facts.

and in the late 60's when it was rougher then today to be a POC

He didn't write this song. He preformed it well but Mac Davis wrote this. He's from Lubbock Texas, my hometown. Went to same high school as buddy Holy. Please give props to Mac for this song.

Below poverty

He was even told by his manager not to perform this song because it would ruin his career.

@@zulawoo Colonel Parker ruined it for him. He robbed him blind

Elvis had a Deep Love for Black People, because he knew the Struggle's of Poverty and Racism in the Deep South!

Yes, he was known for buying many people cars.

He did things like that for total strangers, all the time

@@lisamariepagliei3945 Agree. Elvis gave away so much money that when he died he had nothing like what people expected, because he'd steadily given away nearly all that he'd earned to those in need.

@@Chris-kj7de So true he was very very generous he gave away his wealth to family friends and strangers !

WIW what a story so sorry for you as a kid terrible horrible scums to do that as a little boy m, but now your stronger I hope you've moved on from your past man for real 🙏

I'm loving your reactions and comments to Elvis Presley singing ( In the Ghetto) 😢❤

Greatist songwriter ever!

I was totally unaware he passed! Sad news.

Aww, Mac is gone 🙏

Did not know that So sad :( Used to love his show on TV, watching with my folks It was a different era

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ja2DobeXt7DQc40.html Mac Davis' story behind in the ghetto

When people panhandle to me I don't mind and just give them a dollar. Even though I don't have much I don't care. I am just glad I CAN.

Your Nan was wise!

Awe, your Nan 'got it'! What a beautiful soul! Now a days the girl would be arrested for shoplifting and humiliated.

@Ms Darby I agree 100%! 😊

💖

I really like Elvis and I don’t think he entirely plagiarized from Black artists but the fact remains a Black artist performing music like him would never have been as successful, due to racism. Jackie Wilson is a good example (he was arguably an even better and more talented version of Elvis, and Elvis admired him a lot and took style elements from him. They were actually sort of friends.) I think Elvis was aware of that and unlike some people nowadays (cough cough K-Pop groups) he addressed it and addressed the impact of Black artists on his music.

@@SmartStart24 Could it just simply be that there are 85% more white people and having access to a MUCH LARGER audience, which was mostly made up of screaming high school girls, by the way....may have had something to do with it, and it wasn't about racism AT ALL? (gasp.....I know, such a crazy assertion).

​@SmartStart24 Elvis not only admired Jackie Wilson, when Jackie was in a coma in the hospital for years, Elvis had flowers sent to his room every week and candy to the nurses who took care of him

Thank you for sharing Elvis when you came to Canada he gave all of us the best advice we’ve had thanks.Vonnie

Nancy Sinatra got it to Elvis without going through the Colonel. The Colonel wanted a writing credit for Elvis and Mac didn't want to do it. He knew Nancy and was lamenting the situation. She called Elvis from a payphone, on the spot.

And sammy was one cool guy im 55 white sammy was pure cool and not prejudice i tell people all the time music brings blacks and whites together i would have love to have seen elvis and lionel richie sing together and lionel write a song for elvis to sing this would have blown us away.

wow! really? Mac Davis? 'm impressed

He never forgot his roots in Tupelo or his love of gospel ❤

@@richardwatson8714 Sammy said...was he my friend, always, that's all he needed to know!!

So True. I grew up in Memphis in the 1970s and have many stories. Many more about the racial feel of the mid south in the 1970s.

Democrats make sure racism doesn't die.

@ Stopsign32v, you are what is currently wrong with America. Tell that lie to our first black President or soon to be first Vice President of color.

@@BazookaToe your black president did absolutely nothing for the black community and the new vice new president is not black.

@12th Man, tell that to the 3 million that didn’t have healthcare. And I never said the incoming Vice President was Black, she’s just not the same shade as your boy Pence, which is 3 shades lighter than porcelain.

Thanks to his deadbeat dad.

@@jv-ep2tc his father spent 3 years in prison when he was growing up. One cannot be a father from prison.

@@jv-ep2tc no, but close- he did get his drivers license suspended around 1986 or 87 and I seen he had a speeding ticket in 2009. He divorced my mom when I was 20; not a fan of that but it didnt impact me. Thank you for your concern though.

@@jv-ep2tc I have issues because Vernon Presley forged a check 50 years before I was born? It is the height of idiocy that a person cant state a fact without being implicated in that fact. Elvis's father spent 3 years in prison wether I bring it up or not. Perhaps if its not spoken of, the event will be erased from the sands of time. Do you assign malice to the recital of all historical facts or just those you find inconvenient? I'm guessing the latter...but thats just a guess, not an 83 year old fact, so dont scorn me over it.

@@jv-ep2tc are you familiar with the term "straw-man" argument, or are you doing it unknowingly?

That’s all true,Swaggy^^

It's a distressing and unforgivable testament that the world is still turning it's head.

1969

The song was first song by Elvis in. 1969

The man was an angel on earth to many folks did yall know he and danny Thomas put together st.judes children's hospital so no family would ever have to pay for medical of any kind and Elvis created indeed employment agency just so no matter how low someone's education is they can still get a job lol check this out aunt Nash opened a church but she needed a piano lmbo he gave her a 15 million dollar baby grand piano lol so they got it to the church and it was like way to be to even fit in the church as it was a very small church lol so they went to a pawn shop and asked if they had a smaller piano that they could trade lmbo they gave the owner of the pawn shop the piano for a i think $500 organ lol they just swapped it out even steven lol true story my hand to god 😂

Well said Carla

people always assume he is singing about a black person

Elvis did not write this song. Elvis grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi. He grew up poor, but he did not grow up in a ghetto like what he is singing about. The song was written by the late Texan Mac Davis. He had never seen a real ghetto. He wrote it about the area of Lubbock, Texas where his friend Smitty lived. Everyone assumed Smitty was black. But no one knows for sure. Then what he read about (problems) in the real ghettos and projects.

@@shaywestlake9709 Elvis grew up in the poor of the poorest in his time an day that is considered ghetto an i never said Elvis wrote this song but he did understand the meaning to the song but either way he was trying to bringing awareness to a problem that still exist today

@@carlajohnson9182 I was just trying to say, yes Elvis grew up super poor, there is no doubt about that. But where he grew up was not a ghetto. A ghetto is in a big city where people live in apartments or projects they set aside for them. It is usually for minorities. I was just going by the definition which is: Ghetto- a part of a city, especially a slum area, occupied by a minority group or groups. Everything else we agree on.

he was born into white poverty not black poverty, big difference. but you wouldn't know about that because you are white!!

@@bwana-ma-coo-bah425 I don’t want to argue. But, I truly want to know the difference. When Elvis Presley moved to the projects of Memphis lots of people living there. Including black folks. No disrespect, I truly want to know.

@@kellybell1772 Maybe rephrase your question. I don't seem to understand it.

@@bwana-ma-coo-bah425 Black racism isn't any different then white racism 😒 An empty stomach doesn't know skin color, a broken heart doesn't know skin color, a broken home doesn't know skin color. Luke 6:45 45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

@@dianneadair1132 really are you saying that because you are white?

He loved everyone but himself. So sad

He was a very loving accepting man but that acceptance actually made many people dislike him. Mostly whites who didn't like the idea of black and whites being equal. Check out "Elvis and the black community". A lot of white business owners banned his music. But he was easy to like and I think he did change some minds and some hearts. The world needs more like him.

Watch "The Inconvenient Truth Elvis waned people to know" on KZfaq kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ncWRaseCvc_Qc6M.html

@@cassandrahepp6445 Watch "The Inconvenient Truth Elvis waned people to know" on KZfaq kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ncWRaseCvc_Qc6M.html

@Tyrone P. AMEN to that! 🥰🙏

He even made seating look cool

@@1foolishcaribou195 yes he did. Only ONE Elvis!

Subscribe please 🙏🏾

Wow.

❤❤❤😢

I second the idea that you should react to If I Can Dream (and wear that same t-shirt when you do). There are two versions from the 1968 comeback special - one with a white suit and one with a black leather suit. In my opinion, the white suit version is better as Elvis really pours his soul into that performance.

My favorite of his

@@carytakagawa2760 did he sing it twice in the 68 special? I’ve often wondered that.

Yes you should so do if I can dream - my favourite elvis track

I too agree that you should check out, " If I can dream " it's a tribute song to martin luther king. . .The version where he is wearing the white suit is really touching.

First you have to understand the problem, ghettos were built when the tractor was invented, and all people moved to the city. Move out again.

@@Tommysimonsen interesting view of such a longstanding issue. I never thought of our government as a tractor...yes I'm very aware of The Great Migration during WW I as well as the The WW ll second migration but a tractor was not the cause.

@@Prozak63 Government? Don`t you have freedom of movement?, The people in the ghettos are the problem, not the buildings.

@@Tommysimonsen I'm not sure where you live but yes we are free to move anywhere without restriction. But I'll say this, I made no mention of buildings being the ghetto. As for the people who are stuck living in rundown neighborhoods, a majority of those people do want much better but a continuing cycle of ignoring them and the real problems they face is our own ignorance. Why are there BILLIONS of dollars in our Government's lasted bill going to outside countries for bullshit things? Answer that for me and tell me it's the people in the ghetto that are the problem when all that money could and should go towards helping OUR citizens.

@@Prozak63 The government have no money you confuse debt with money.

It was a tribute to MLK and RFK. (everyone forgets about Bobby 🥺)

I love that song and I never heard that.

MLK was killed in April 1968 just 2 months before Elvis recorded his '68 Comeback Special' which led to Presley singing 'If I Can Dream'.

It was all a stunt. Did Elvis turn up to the funeral? Did Elvis march along side him for equality? Did Elvis use any form of media to speak about equality? NO!!! Elvis was all front, and you can thank the colonel for that. His house was less than 9 miles from where MLK was shot. What does that tell you about the people where Elvis lived.

@@bwana-ma-coo-bah425 why do you have ro be so hateful? Elvis lived the change he wanted to see. He treated his black performers like family. He treated EVERYONE with love and respect. If more people lived a more loving inclusive life the world would change. If you wanna march and protest have at it. I choose to BE the change i wanna see.

I heard it on the news and called my mom at work. She told me to call my Aunt Mary. She grew up in Mississippi and her cousin had dated Elvis a couple of times. We were all shook up, so to speak.

I was with Mom when she found out, on the tennis court hearing the people in the next court talk about it. She broke down and made my dad take her home. I'll never forget.

He touched so many people around the globe and that is why we love and respect him for his many qualities not just for his talent but for his decency kindness and humanity. He will always be loved admired and terribly missed. Even after 43 years I still have hard time believing he is gone.

I'm really touched by your heartfelt response.

I remember I was 17, standing in our living room the tv was on and then they said there is a special report... Elvis Presley has died. 💔 my mom who loved him dearly ran in with tears in her eyes and we hugged and cried some more. I really believe his manager Tom Parker helped kill Elvis by working him to death and paying himself well.

Exactly! I wish the best for this brother!

@@darrellwood3913 Yeah we're all brother's one way or the other if that makes any sense

God he was SO beautiful.

And he is STILL beautiful! Just wait till you see him and what he is doing. He has finally found his peace!

Great Reaction!!!!! He was, is and will always be the Man!!!!! I was fortunate to grow up during the 60s.

It's awesome and it's a must.

Must watch Elvis and the black community.

The only thing that's going to stop Is the people in their neighbourhood. Get rid of the people Like Sheila Jackson Lee.

I can’t tell what someone else is thinking or feeling but I look at his audience, he sang in front of rich white people and sang “are we to blind to see” so for me this song is to make people think of how they can help and support communities who needs it or the circle will never end. I might be wrong, but I don’t think he sings it as a bad thing, more to make people aware and that change can and should be done, he has a voice and uses it to spread awareness. He grew up in poverty himself. I also think one of the back up singers are Whitney Houston’s mother? Have a great day!

he did tribute the song to MLK. yes. But did he turn up to the funeral? No!! Why don't you tell me why he didn't go to the funeral?

@@bwana-ma-coo-bah425 probably because he would have been instantly recognized and caused all kinds of mess.

@@bevtuft3572 lame excuse. Nixon along with many other dignitaries went. The colonel ordered Elvis to finish the movie he was working on.

Go to your overrated shitty zappa, hahahaha

Zappa looked like a bum at the end 🤣

He hope the other man who was offended was set straight by other posters. You don’t have to experience something to sing about it but Elvis sure did experience growing up in the ghetto.

Sad that there are people who think he was a racist when in fact he was the opposite. He truly loved the black community.

Elvis was born in the ghetto in Tupelo Mississippi and lived in projects in Memphis as a teenager.

Everyone is offended today,,, they were born offended..

That's right! Elvis tried to inspire many to step above their current bad situation regardless of race....but he did try very hard to assimilate many Blacks into his world to help in any way he could.

No race mentioned in the song, but it was inspired by a black boy Davis knew and in America, like it or not, "ghettos" have long been associated with people of colour. There are archive 1960s news reports on this platform reporting about various "ghettos" in mainly black neighborhoods. Probably explains why the likes of Bill Medley and Sammy Davis Jr passed on the song - it hits as hard today as it did back then.

@@Gooneress I think you are taking offense where none is necessary. I lived in a jewish ghetto. Mac recently said (Gilbert Gottfried podcast) that his childhood friend Smitty had a child who met that fate. Mac wanted Elvis to record the song but the Colonel wanted a writing credit. Mac's feelings about this particular song wouldn't let him give it up. Mac had a friendly relationship with Nancy Sinatra who was a friend of Elvis's and she made a call and it was done.

@@johnmcbarron7282 I'm not offended at all. It's obviously an interesting footnote that the victim's race isn't mentioned, but what a damning indictment that the presumption is generally that it is - and that the victim isn't white. That, to me, seems to be what so many take away from it - even possibly, the great singers who passed on it.

@@Gooneress Clearly, the song was right for Elvis.

@@johnmcbarron7282 Absolutely. It was meant to be.

Where can I find this book?

@@sheilahaver75 it's a video on KZfaq. Here is the link kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rspho7uolqrRo3U.html ❤❤I hope you enjoy it❤❤

A correction.Elvis love for music was inborn.He attended white Pentecostal church every week, soulful and rhythmic music there.That is were he learned to love gospel music.He sang there at age two..not in black churches.He supplemented his church going when he infrequently listened to black gospel outside their churchess attending the actual services very infrequently.When he was a teenager thirteen or so he attended the southern white gospel concerts, never missing one ecxept once when he had no money to get in.JD Sumner of the Stamps then missed his presence and threreafter Elvis got in free.JD was the bass singer who later was with Elvis in Vegas.Elvis himself said he listened to all types of music early on even opera and credited his church mostly for his influence but he credits so many other types too..a compilation.As for his soulful singing, he grew up in poverty yearning for better life, yearning for more, experiencing what poverty did to him.That is where all that deep passion comes from in his music...his own experiences.He never once borrowed those experiences.He suffered them.He loved black rhythm blues, black gospel but his music was so much more a compilatation of country rhythm blues gospel (white and black). etc. In short, Elvis said he sounded like nobody and he did mot.He was the real deal original.

Wow I didn't know Elvis had to hunt squirrels to survive in early years. Wow. (His twin sadly died too at birth) Talk about starting behind the 8 ball...

@@margarettaylor8107 nope

Germans always have the best words.

in America they call it racism.

Wow! What an awesome name

@@bwana-ma-coo-bah425 all people irrespective of skin colour can be dirt poor. Not racist, fact.

​@@olwynyoung6499I agree in part. the only difference is, and don't forget we are talking about those times not current. If you are black and poor it was a lot harder than if you are white and poor. People forget that we are talking about "then" not 'now".

I prefer the Alternate