There are some who have criticised Elvis for singing about the ghetto "What the hell does Elvis know about the ghetto". What the hell do they know about Elvis? He was born in Tupelo, in abject poverty, his community was the black community. His love for the black community stems from his neighbours keeping him fed when he was hungry. He NEVER forgot this. So, what the hell does Elvis know about the Ghetto? Far more than the vast majority who are quick to hate on you tube with their comments.
@@watchbizmatik Just to be clear, my comment wasn't intended to suggest YOU had said anything relating to my comments, I was just trying to highlight that there were some opinions out there that accused Elvis of being disingenuous. I apologise for the confusion. Yours was a great reaction - I should have just said that.
Elvis did not tolerate any form of racism , once in vegas the hotel he was performing at told him that his band could not spend the night since they were black , so he told them if they could not stay he would not perform . They all got a room
Elvis was raised in a ghetto, they were dirt poor. His twin died and was buried in a shoe box, his dad went to jail for doctoring a check to buy food. Elvis deserves respect for his kindness, his heart, and of course his talent which was immense. Long Live the King.
this song was sung in 1969. Elvis was so poor he was fed by his black neighbors! he love the community he lived in. He never forgot their generosity when they were also poor.
I'm a white man in the South & when I was a kid. My Dad would take me to our favorite BBQ Joint owned by a Black man named Mr. Smith. (Located in the poor black community) There was always a very poor black man that would come to our table & ask for a quarter to play his favorite song from the Jukebox in the corner & it was In The Ghetto, by Elvis. That poor black man would sit & cry through the whole song & my White Dad would always walk over, slip him a $20 & hold that poor black man as he cried. I learned at a very young age not to see color in people. We are all brothers & sisters in this sometimes harsh world. 🤟
I cry every time I hear this song. He grew up in extreme poverty, and never forgot where he came from. Thank you so much for such an open and honest review of this.
The song was released in 1969. Elvis was raised in a ghetto and his family was dirt poor. He wanted to use his platform to send a message, which took a lot of guts for a performer to do especially back then.
What drugs are you on? Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi in a one room shack. Later his family moved to the projects in Memphis. He knew poverty very well. He never forgot where he came from.
@@joycebellaphant2354 the name of the song includes the word Dream Martin Luthers famous speech was “ I have a dream “. He says where all my brothers walk hand in hand. Martin Luther King said “ he had a dream no matter what religion or colour would be hand in hand “
My favorite thing about this song is that it never says who the child is or what they look like so that allows anyone listening to put themselves in that situation and to get a glimpse into either their past, their future, or what could have been if their family circumstances had been different. And that is a big thing for a quiet song. It makes you think.
Elvis was born into poverty ..... this song came out in 1969 written by Mac Davis ..... Elvis was the only one that would sing the song . Radio stations really never played the song . We had the album so I heard it all my life .... Kentucky Rain is another song he does that never got radio play .... beautiful songs both of them . Look up the Video Elvis and the black community the Echo will never die ... it’s a true look into Elvis’s life ...there’s 2 parts
"If I Can Dream" is a song Elvis sings as a tribute to his friend Dr. Martin Luther King who'd just been assassinated. Elvis was broken-hearted. Watch the video where Elvis is wearing a white suit. .
Elvis went through a hard time himself when he was young, and naturally knows about the ghetto. He was remarkable to sing this song. So sincerely heartbreaking.
It's a shame that Elvis sang this over 50 years ago and we still haven't fixed it. We need to stop sending money to other nations and use it hete first to lift our inner-city's.
We need it very badly here now. Our nation is in severe crisis. We just passed 400,000 dead from the virus. It seems more virulent and deadly to poor people. 😔🙏 Until next week, we are a 747 with engine trouble and no pilot.
Elvis was born into poverty his family moved to a projects in Memphis his father went to prison for forgery to buy food for the family. That's why Elvis was so generous .
ELVIS new what poverty was,he came from a very poor and humble life, then he became thee as American dream.happy heavenly birthday to ELVIS Presley, would have been 86 today.🥲🙏🎂
Mac Davis, who passed away few months ago, wrote and composed this song. A number of Name performers turned it down. The man who managed Elvis, Tom Parker, didn't want Elvis to do what might have been considered a controversial song. But Elvis knew best.
Mac Davis, the greatest songwriter ever. The song was originally called the Vicious Circle, one baby dies and another takes his place. And so the vicious circle carries on.
He was to good to live long. People chewed him up, and he got lost after his mother died. He was also very spiritual, love many of his Gospel songs. It was mostly black artist that wrote all his songs. Many tried to change what he chose to sing, but most of the hit songs were written by black artists, even when hard rock came out they owned up to where there inspiration came from. I'm 65 years old and I saw how music evolved. It was awesome, so many memories.
Elvis is one of the most famous people in music history, & no doubt, one of the most talented, however his heart & love for humanity, is his legacy 💚💜💗💚💜 Really enjoyed your heartfelt reaction! Please react to another performance he gave, on his comeback show, called If I can dream.....His heart was ripped apart by the recent assassinations of MLK & Bobby Kennedy, and insisted on singing this song, instead of another the network wanted him to sing......I believe you will really feel this performance to the depths of your soul 💗 Link: czcams.com/video/u-pP_dCenJA/video.html
More like it will never get better until people are actually given equality, until parents (kids without fathers can be great if given the right support, same with kids without mothers, you need people who love you, they can be uncles, grandparents, cousins, neighbors, friends, they don't need to be two parents in a household, don't buy that ignorant hype. In fact, kids raised by lesbians according to scientific evidence, tend to fair better mentally and be mentally more healthy than even kids raised by a mother and father, go figure). Parents/caretakers need enough money to provide a safe, healthy home environment, they need fair wages when they work to cover their bills and buy food and clothing and decent education and health care, they need time off for mothers and fathers when kids are born and when they're sick or need extra care, other first world countries do this right, we in America do not.
In 1969 when Elvis Presley sang this song 🎵 the southside of Chicago was a black neighborhood called the ghetto. Today its got a mixed ethnic group of people and its a gangland community where mothers are still crying. Elvis knew poverty and lived in the projects of Memphis where he attended a black church. Soul and gospel music colored his experience in the music industry. 🎶
You nailed it. This song used a "circle of life" story approach. In fact, it was originally (briefly, before being recorded) called "The Cycle". The tragic story of life in the ghetto keeps repeating itself, generation after generation, which is so, so sad.
I loved this song when it first came out. I was just a boy then, but I felt it. Born somewhere in NYC - I don't know exactly where, or to whom - I lived in an orphanage until I was adopted by a couple from the Bronx. She was an emergency room nurse who worked in East Harlem, then the Bx. He was a homicide detective, my own personal Archie Bunker. When someone said the Old Man was a racist, he'd say, "I'm not prejudiced. I hate everybody equally." I think he was being truthful. Dad moved us out of his mom's house in Soundview in the South Bronx to a nice little house in Long Island, about a half-mile from the border with Queens. I used to say, my dad fought his way out of the ghetto & I fought my way back in. For a long time, I thought it was White Guilt bringing me back to the city, to the shooting galleries and, later, the crack houses where I tried to erase myself. Only recently I realized I was looking for my roots, for my parents, for myself. I was an angry young man and only barely escaped the fate of the youth Elvis sang about 'In The Ghetto'. I still love this song, it still makes me stop and listen. I still wonder who my mom & dad were, if I had any siblings. My adopted brother was also a cop. He took his own life just a few months before I was released from prison, 15 years ago. I miss him so much. Almost everyone I knew and loved from way back is dead. I have no one to share 'the good old days' with. So I come to places like this, to share with you. To hear your thoughts and feelings about the music that has meant so much to me. If you've read this far, thanks. Thanks for sharing the experience with me. I'll leave one suggestion for a song reaction: Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills, & Nash (& sometimes Young). "I have my ship and all her flags are a-flying. She is all that I have left, and Music is her name."
@@steppenwolf_666 From what I have read, Tim, your journey through life has not been without much confusion, despair, hurt, emptiness, and loneliness, and that is an awful lot to deal with, especially in the absence of someone in your life that will take the time to hear your story, understand and appreciate your struggles and give you the support you need. I hope you are able to reach out to your doctor, or perhaps a community health center that can direct you to the appropriate services that can help you. I have no idea if you are physically mobile, but may I also suggest joining a club of sorts: bowling, cards, bingo, etc., where you can be around people and likely make a few friends. Sometimes the best way to extract yourself from your own pain is to distract yourself with activities that lift your spirits. I am not qualified to give professional advice, but I hope you are not isolating yourself from life because that can make matters worse. Hopefully you are able to more engage in activities with others to rejuvenate your soul and give your life purpose and meaning. Take care of yourself, Tim.
I lived through the Elvis craze. Honestly, I was never much of a fan. However, THIS song was special. THIS is my favorite Elvis songl A beautiful, poiognant song that is, unfortuantely, still true. Appreciate your reaction.
The black community embraced Elvis when white rock and roll stations were refusing to play his records, calling it n-word music. He found acceptance and encouragement in the black community.
The troll is almost in every elvis Video and always write the same one_sided rubbish about elvis, he probably write down the questions and answers to present them here, to get attention, always the same Procedure 😂 😂 😂 😂
Elvis's "If I can Dream" from the 68 comeback special. (White suit version) will Move you also. perhaps one of the greatest in both content and performance.
Elvis was, as all of us are, an amalgamation of all his experiences and influences. He was a man who drew no lines. He learned from all and cared about everybody.
Thanks for your insightful reaction. Yes, the few ways out are effed up. Elvis himself knew this because of the album on which this hit single also appeared. It was the final song of "From Elvis In Memphis," and it's best heard as part of that album. It certainly wasn't initially intended as a "concept album," but that's how it turned out. I suggest listening to an audio-only version of "Long Black Limousine" from the same album. The songs work in tandem. And both end in death as both protagonists attempt escape from poverty. I can't imagine Elvis wasn't thinking of himself while singing "Long Black Limousine." He "got out," for a little while. Elvis was no middle class poser. He grew up in the projects after his parents qualified for a spot. During these recording sessions, he changed words to several of the songs, clearly sensing a pattern forming as these very emotional sessions in Memphis took shape. He sang of dreams, dreams that died, "empty" dreams . . . it's all over the album. The studio wasn't far from where he first lived in Memphis as a child in The Big City for the first time. On this album, he questions the whole point of "escape." Where does it lead? To a hearse? And not just in one song. By early 1969, the city was in shambles after the murder of Dr. King. 827 Thomas St., where he sang "In The Ghetto" WAS in the ghetto. And that north Memphis ghetto was already becoming something of a ghost town. It had an eerie sense of emptiness and silence in the 1970s, when I first visited and took photos of the little pink studio that was soon to be demolished. Along with many, I recommend "If I Can Dream" from 1968. Oh! There's that word again. "Dream." "If I Can Dream" was written by a television-based songwriter who was asked to use Elvis' own words as they all heard them that summer of 1968 to come up with a new song to close out the legendary "Comeback Special" as it later came to be called. That's how television worked back then. Everyone had a specialty. W. Earl Brown wrote songs for TV Specials. Michael Jackson sang at least one of his songs. That was Brown's job. But this show was unique. Everyone rose to the challenge. Especially Elvis. You will see him singing "If I Can Dream" live with no audience in a white preacher's suit with a small dark blood-red scarf. For all the blood that was so recently spilled. He and the wardrobe man discussed some very serious issues, including that little red scarf. And Vietnam body counts. 1968 may have lost out to 2020/21 as "the worst year ever," but 1968 is still especially horrific as I write this on Dr. King's birthday.
Check out , If I Can Dream from 1968 Come Back Special , Don't Cry Daddy , Kentucky Rain if you like deep songs. There are so many Elvis songs and styles, Try Power Of My Love and Wear in That Love On Look From Elvis In Memphis album
Elvis didnt even use a shit ton of words to describe how the ghetto is but he laid down a few words to describe it and those words still stand today! Death immediately replaced by a birth.
Bro you are missing out,,, Elvis was the greatest of all time. He sang so many great songs,,, his favourite music was Gospel. He sang to tell a story and to bring awareness to many different things going on in the World. He actually makes Christmas music sound really good,,, I listen to his holiday album all year it’s that great.
Good on you for listening and reacting to this song. It's easy to be caught up in the emotion of it by the end. It gets me almost every time. Just don't forget the pre-chorus "people don't you understand, this child needs a helping hand" we all have that option. Want to break the cycling, a little bit of kindness and time can go a long way
Loved your reaction you got the meaning on point he did it in 69 sad to think still applys today he did it because he believed he needed to be sung check out If I can dream Walk a mile in my shoes Suspicious minds and Polk salad Annie thank you be safe 😷✌
There is no way any man can erase history. Elvis was getting it across how his fellow man struggled in life. He lived in poverty himself, the first big hit that made him money he went out and bought his Mama a house to end her struggle. Elvis was close to the Black Community he worshiped every walk of life.. R.I.P Elvis, your music will live on..
Big respect for your reaction. I was born poor, hungry, brown, girl. Heard this song, I got out of the ghetto, song, after 60 years, I still cry when I hear it.
Did you guys know this song was rejected by renowned artists of those times because of the associated controversy including rejected by Elvis’ manager T Parker. But The King what he did, The Greatest. No wonder Ali had immense respect for this man
Your emotional honesty and appreciation of this song by Elvis -- priceless BizMatik. Lots of respect for your assessment. I only wish more people knew about this side of Presley. And yes, he too grew up in poverty so he could sing about this subject. Despite his rock background, this song was a hit on the charts. You said, "he didn't have to sing a song like this." He did meet with resistance when he considered it -- but he listened to no one except himself. Says a lot about the man.
Elvis was born in real bad poverty during the depression. They moved from their small house in Tupelo Mississippi to Memphis Tennessee into public housing apartments. They really struggled. He can sing this song because it was his reality.
The song was written by Mac Davis, based in what he saw as a child growing up in Chicago. He started calling it The Vicious Circle but had trouble making the lyrics work. He changed the lyrics and it became In the Ghetto. While Elvis did not grow up in an inner city ghetto, he grew up in extreme poverty and mixed neighborhoods in the South. He knew poverty and the hopelessness for many. As a young man, his main goal was to find a way to get his family out of poverty. Love your reaction. Elvis had great compassion for everyone.
He was an incredible man, In real life, he also gave cars ,money, food to people in need, his daughter did a clauberation of in the ghetto. Its on tube very moving as well made me cry as well.look for Elvis / Lisa singing in the Ghetto so beautiful. I think you have beautiful emotions, never be inbarresed and your beautifu
He was born dirt poor and raised in the ghetto as a little boy in tupelo mississippi and as a teenager in memphis and lived in public housing until he made it big.so you see he never forgot where he came from oh Mac davis, wrote the song for The GOAT ❤💯🙏 amen, thank you so much for sharing and love your reaction to the GOAT.god bless you and your family, 👍☝👌🌹🎉🔥🤒😷🇵🇷🇺🇸
As someone who came from the suburbs of Chicago, even way back when, we all knew about Cabrini Green... Sad to hear it's the same or worse now there. Great reaction.
60yrs old from Australia, always felt sad when ever I listened to this song. We may not be in that world, but we do feel for the heart ache & pain that the system has forced onto the beautiful pepole who have been lied to for the elites to get richer. They want us to heat each other because if we loved each other they would not be able to control us. They want you divided.
God help us all to break these ties to poverty and truly love and help each other !! There were people who didn't want Elvis to sing this song...he didn't care and sang it anyway because he knew the message was relevant and true to those times....and still are true today !!! Elvis gone but never ever forgotten !!!
This song makes me cry every time I hear it. He sang this in 1969 and things haven't changed. In the beginning when he says "people, don't you understand the child needs a helping hand or he's going to grow up to be an angry young man someday" touches my soul. I've worked for social services for 20 years and I can't believe how many in this country are against helping people if it means they have a few dollars less to spend on Starbucks.
Well said my friend! Ppl have become so detached, so much more selfish, its sad. I appreciate greatly appreciate your job choice, i can tell you genuinely care, i am sure yr heart has been broken many times. In case you do not get told this, Thank you for your effort, your time , giving up a piece of your heart, you are appreciated and I have no doubt made a positive impact on some childs life, maybe saved a child, hopefully helped a parent become a true parent. YOU ARE APPRECIATED! Thank you again.💕
This is Mrs. Ace x. Elvis passed August 16,1977. He's #1. I believe that the man who wrote this song was the late Mac Davis. He was a great writer and performer of music. This song was easy for Elvis to have a heart for. His heart I'm sure has stayed huge, in God's Kingdom. He could feel others pain and had sympathy for them. Mac, was a great performer, with a lot of charisma. It was obvious that he loved his audience, and all people, by the words in his songs. He had his own TV show for awhile, long ago. I think that if you could see him connecting to his audience, you would feel his soul. We all came from the same place and will return there together. People need to open themselves to love. It is more about expressing your humanity to others. It feels good, to those who don'tknow. Loved your review.
Yeah man everyone tears up when they hear this. (And see the other REACTION vids). It's a real good song: really good combination of knowledgeable lyrics and music suiting each other really well, and it reaches down deep really good. Ain't the Tempts or Marvin or Stevie, but it is its own thing. Thank you.
Elvis was my distant cousin and grew up dirt poor and he was always hungry and being native American that jim crow crap affected us too and he grew up in shot gun shacks ( crappy houses ) laid out in a community and he never forgot where he came from and he passed before I was born but I grew up poor and hungry too poverty knows no color its an equal opportunity pain in the butt..and Elvis knew exactly what he was singing about
Credit to Mac Davis as someone pointed out below for writing the song. For folks who only know Elvis from his pop songs or don't know him at all, do yourselves a favor and check out his gospel music. His voice is INCREDIBLE singing gospel music (something else he grew up with)
Surprise! Isn't that a beautiful voice. 😲 Warning, Elvis is addictive, but it's a truly wonderful addiction. ☺ Check out, "Unchained Melody", from a concert 6 weeks before he died. 😪 He was VERY, VERY sick, but gave his best for his fans, as always. 😇 Incredible performance!!!👏👏👏 He had a fantastic sense of humor and loved to joke with his band, backup singers, and the audience. You'll see some of that in the video.
Bro, I’m greatly appreciate, you discovered elvis - he was never of colour. He had an ability and made you feel, this song was written before you were born A great loss to you and our world
If I can dream is a must hear!! Now that you've heard this I strongly recommend listening to what 3 6 Mafia did with this on documentary Elvis and the black community that echo will never die. Its eye opening..Thanks for great reaction 👍✌
Excellent analysis of the exact issues Elvis was talking about in this song. Deep lyrics and you took it apart perfectly. Terrific response, my brother.
There are some who have criticised Elvis for singing about the ghetto "What the hell does Elvis know about the ghetto". What the hell do they know about Elvis? He was born in Tupelo, in abject poverty, his community was the black community. His love for the black community stems from his neighbours keeping him fed when he was hungry. He NEVER forgot this. So, what the hell does Elvis know about the Ghetto? Far more than the vast majority who are quick to hate on you tube with their comments.
He didn't say that. Another reactor said that. (Is it reacter, or reactor? 🤔 )
@@RobinMarkowitzcoolmedia Yes? 😛
Lol why are you people posting dumb comments that has nothing to do with my review. Probably didnt even watch it smh
@@watchbizmatik Just to be clear, my comment wasn't intended to suggest YOU had said anything relating to my comments, I was just trying to highlight that there were some opinions out there that accused Elvis of being disingenuous. I apologise for the confusion. Yours was a great reaction - I should have just said that.
Elvis did not tolerate any form of racism , once in vegas the hotel he was performing at told him that his band could not spend the night since they were black , so he told them if they could not stay he would not perform . They all got a room
Elvis was raised in a ghetto, they were dirt poor. His twin died and was buried in a shoe box, his dad went to jail for doctoring a check to buy food. Elvis deserves respect for his kindness, his heart, and of course his talent which was immense. Long Live the King.
this song was sung in 1969. Elvis was so poor he was fed by his black neighbors! he love the community he lived in. He never forgot their generosity when they were also poor.
I'm a white man in the South & when I was a kid. My Dad would take me to our favorite BBQ Joint owned by a Black man named Mr. Smith. (Located in the poor black community)
There was always a very poor black man that would come to our table & ask for a quarter to play his favorite song from the Jukebox in the corner & it was In The Ghetto, by Elvis.
That poor black man would sit & cry through the whole song & my White Dad would always walk over, slip him a $20 & hold that poor black man as he cried.
I learned at a very young age not to see color in people. We are all brothers & sisters in this sometimes harsh world. 🤟
Thank you for sharing that beautiful memory ❤
Amen we are all brothers and sisters in God's eyes
I cry every time I hear this song. He grew up in extreme poverty, and never forgot where he came from. Thank you so much for such an open and honest review of this.
The song was released in 1969. Elvis was raised in a ghetto and his family was dirt poor. He wanted to use his platform to send a message, which took a lot of guts for a performer to do especially back then.
He was raised a poor white country boy. Ghettos are deprived minority urban neighbourhoods.
@@gavinreid5387 He was raised in or very near just what you're talking about. Elvis did know about ghetto. my opinion. God Bless
Yup. The same guts alot of us need todsy
I keep thinking no one knows that Mac Davis wrote this song.
then why didn't he speak about it?
Elvis was born in desperate poverty. He never forgot.
What drugs are you on? Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi in a one room shack. Later his family moved to the projects in Memphis. He knew poverty very well. He never forgot where he came from.
@@edb6690 exactly
Yes 👍💕
@@edb6690 who are you talking to? Nothing about hes brother who died right next to him in the womb he live for him
So true 👍
The mother struggles to feed her children. The depth of her love is heartbreaking. The poor woman. This song should bring tears to a person.
He sang "If I Can Dream" as a tribute to Martin Luther King jr. A must listen
I never knew that till I watch one and found out!
My fav song
Okay how is that a song tribute to Martin Luther King I don't get it
@@joycebellaphant2354 the name of the song includes the word Dream Martin Luthers famous speech was “ I have a dream “. He says where all my brothers walk hand in hand. Martin Luther King said “ he had a dream no matter what religion or colour would be hand in hand “
King and one of the Kennedys
Mac Davis wrote this and The King performed it perfectly!
I love Mac Davis singing it as well.
My favorite thing about this song is that it never says who the child is or what they look like so that allows anyone listening to put themselves in that situation and to get a glimpse into either their past, their future, or what could have been if their family circumstances had been different. And that is a big thing for a quiet song. It makes you think.
Elvis was born into poverty ..... this song came out in 1969 written by Mac Davis ..... Elvis was the only one that would sing the song . Radio stations really never played the song . We had the album so I heard it all my life .... Kentucky Rain is another song he does that never got radio play .... beautiful songs both of them .
Look up the Video
Elvis and the black community the Echo will never die ... it’s a true look into Elvis’s life ...there’s 2 parts
He grew up in the deepest poverty you can imagine. And, he never saw color. He was a rare and genuine human being.
tiny two room house...no running water or indoor plumbing
black people and many other Indian Americans still do.
Troll your shit ugly zappa died like a miserable bum at the end 🤣
@@bwana-ma-coo-bah425 Far more white people are in poverty today than any other group, so stop being such a racist about it.
It’s a crying shame that everyone doesn’t know this song. 50 year old song and truly relevant today. How does it ever stop?
"If I Can Dream" is a song Elvis sings as a tribute to his friend Dr. Martin Luther King who'd just been assassinated. Elvis was broken-hearted. Watch the video where Elvis is wearing a white suit. .
Elvis went through a hard time himself when he was young, and naturally knows about the ghetto. He was remarkable to sing this song. So sincerely heartbreaking.
It's a shame that Elvis sang this over 50 years ago and we still haven't fixed it. We need to stop sending money to other nations and use it hete first to lift our inner-city's.
We need it very badly here now. Our nation is in severe crisis. We just passed 400,000 dead from the virus. It seems more virulent and deadly to poor people. 😔🙏
Until next week, we are a 747 with engine trouble and no pilot.
@@RobinMarkowitzcoolmedia I'm afraid the crisis will be far from over for quite sometime.....no matter what.
@@MosaicRose99 I know. 💔
Agree 100%😔
We are wealthy enough to do both.
Elvis was born into poverty his family moved to a projects in Memphis his father went to prison for forgery to buy food for the family. That's why Elvis was so generous .
ELVIS new what poverty was,he came from a very poor and humble life, then he became thee as American dream.happy heavenly birthday to ELVIS Presley, would have been 86 today.🥲🙏🎂
Give Elvis the credit his deserve ❤❤❤❤
Mac Davis, who passed away few months ago, wrote and composed this song. A number of Name performers turned it down. The man who managed Elvis, Tom Parker, didn't want Elvis to do what might have been considered a controversial song. But Elvis knew best.
True story.
I didn't know that.
His best friend as a boy was black.
IIRC MD's original title was, "The Vicious Circle" or "The Vicious Cycle".
Awesome history, appreciate that share. Peace.
Great song 👍✌
Elvis will always be the King 👑
Greatest voice and charisma ever ❤
Hey it's Elvis's 86th heavenly birthday today!!!
Poverty is the worst form of violence 😪💔
Elvis understood all of this.. After 40 years this song brings tears to my eyes 🎶😭
what did Elvis do for poverty?
Elvis did loads for charity that helped the poor, its well documented.
“The SYSTEM is well greased by itself.” You said it all brother..
Mac Davis, the greatest songwriter ever. The song was originally called the Vicious Circle, one baby dies and another takes his place. And so the vicious circle carries on.
My favorite Elvis song. Sad but with a message that still needs to be heard. Enjoy
The alternate title was "The Vicious Circle."
He was to good to live long. People chewed him up, and he got lost after his mother died. He was also very spiritual, love many of his Gospel songs. It was mostly black artist that wrote all his songs. Many tried to change what he chose to sing, but most of the hit songs were written by black artists, even when hard rock came out they owned up to where there inspiration came from. I'm 65 years old and I saw how music evolved. It was awesome, so many memories.
It was said that Elvis wanted to quit his career and focus solely on gospel music.
Elvis is one of the most famous people in music history, & no doubt, one of the most talented, however his heart & love for humanity, is his legacy 💚💜💗💚💜 Really enjoyed your heartfelt reaction! Please react to another performance he gave, on his comeback show, called If I can dream.....His heart was ripped apart by the recent assassinations of MLK & Bobby Kennedy, and insisted on singing this song, instead of another the network wanted him to sing......I believe you will really feel this performance to the depths of your soul 💗 Link: czcams.com/video/u-pP_dCenJA/video.html
I wish you’d react to more Elvis, you’ll understand why he’s so loved and why there won’t ever be anyone like him ever again ☮️💜
Unfortunately the situation will never get better until fathers are present on the home.
More like it will never get better until people are actually given equality, until parents (kids without fathers can be great if given the right support, same with kids without mothers, you need people who love you, they can be uncles, grandparents, cousins, neighbors, friends, they don't need to be two parents in a household, don't buy that ignorant hype. In fact, kids raised by lesbians according to scientific evidence, tend to fair better mentally and be mentally more healthy than even kids raised by a mother and father, go figure). Parents/caretakers need enough money to provide a safe, healthy home environment, they need fair wages when they work to cover their bills and buy food and clothing and decent education and health care, they need time off for mothers and fathers when kids are born and when they're sick or need extra care, other first world countries do this right, we in America do not.
@@FallingGalaxy 😩😩😩😩
I love Elvis but this is my favorite his heart is put out there. Love it
In 1969 when Elvis Presley sang this song 🎵 the southside of Chicago was a black neighborhood called the ghetto. Today its got a mixed ethnic group of people and its a gangland community where mothers are still crying. Elvis knew poverty and lived in the projects of Memphis where he attended a black church. Soul and gospel music colored his experience in the music industry. 🎶
You nailed it. This song used a "circle of life" story approach. In fact, it was originally (briefly, before being recorded) called "The Cycle". The tragic story of life in the ghetto keeps repeating itself, generation after generation, which is so, so sad.
At 2:54 in this vid, Mac says his working title was "The Vicious Circle."
czcams.com/video/WGSnTfRJlCY/video.html
@@wnsafford1854 You are correct. It had a couple of working titles; my bad - I named the most obscure of them.
I loved this song when it first came out. I was just a boy then, but I felt it. Born somewhere in NYC - I don't know exactly where, or to whom - I lived in an orphanage until I was adopted by a couple from the Bronx. She was an emergency room nurse who worked in East Harlem, then the Bx. He was a homicide detective, my own personal Archie Bunker. When someone said the Old Man was a racist, he'd say, "I'm not prejudiced. I hate everybody equally." I think he was being truthful. Dad moved us out of his mom's house in Soundview in the South Bronx to a nice little house in Long Island, about a half-mile from the border with Queens. I used to say, my dad fought his way out of the ghetto & I fought my way back in. For a long time, I thought it was White Guilt bringing me back to the city, to the shooting galleries and, later, the crack houses where I tried to erase myself. Only recently I realized I was looking for my roots, for my parents, for myself. I was an angry young man and only barely escaped the fate of the youth Elvis sang about 'In The Ghetto'. I still love this song, it still makes me stop and listen. I still wonder who my mom & dad were, if I had any siblings. My adopted brother was also a cop. He took his own life just a few months before I was released from prison, 15 years ago. I miss him so much. Almost everyone I knew and loved from way back is dead. I have no one to share 'the good old days' with. So I come to places like this, to share with you. To hear your thoughts and feelings about the music that has meant so much to me. If you've read this far, thanks. Thanks for sharing the experience with me. I'll leave one suggestion for a song reaction: Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills, & Nash (& sometimes Young). "I have my ship and all her flags are a-flying. She is all that I have left, and Music is her name."
Thank you for sharing your story. I hope you have found peace in your life.
@@judith3218 I'm working on it, Judith. I suspect I will be for a long time. Well, not too much longer. lol! I'm 61, after all.
@@steppenwolf_666 From what I have read, Tim, your journey through life has not been without much confusion, despair, hurt, emptiness, and loneliness, and that is an awful lot to deal with, especially in the absence of someone in your life that will take the time to hear your story, understand and appreciate your struggles and give you the support you need.
I hope you are able to reach out to your doctor, or perhaps a community health center that can direct you to the appropriate services that can help you.
I have no idea if you are physically mobile, but may I also suggest joining a club of sorts: bowling, cards, bingo, etc., where you can be around people and likely make a few friends.
Sometimes the best way to extract yourself from your own pain is to distract yourself with activities that lift your spirits.
I am not qualified to give professional advice, but I hope you are not isolating yourself from life because that can make matters worse. Hopefully you are able to more engage in activities with others to rejuvenate your soul and give your life purpose and meaning.
Take care of yourself, Tim.
Wow, thanks for sharing your story...it grabbed me in the heart.
@@steppenwolf_666 to me...lol...your still a kid...I am 72
Such a touching song. You had an amazing reaction.
Elvis. Great entertainer. Better yet, a wonderful person.
Your reaction was so heartfelt, which I believe is exactly what The King himself would have hoped for.
I lived through the Elvis craze. Honestly, I was never much of a fan. However, THIS song was special. THIS is my favorite Elvis songl A beautiful, poiognant song that is, unfortuantely, still true. Appreciate your reaction.
There is no "craze
Elvis's soul depth and diversity remain unmatched.
He's timeless.
An iconic artist, the likes of which may never be seen again.
His home as a kid had no floor inside was just dirt ❤️ he understands every word
The black community embraced Elvis when white rock and roll stations were refusing to play his records, calling it n-word music. He found acceptance and encouragement in the black community.
the reason they started to accept was, it was either Elvis or black music.
they chose the white guy. TYPICAL!
@@bwana-ma-coo-bah425 Jesus loves you
what do you mean by the statement black community?
@@nowirehangers2815 how do you know that?
The troll is almost in every elvis Video and always write the same one_sided rubbish about elvis, he probably write down the questions and answers to present them here, to get attention, always the same Procedure 😂 😂 😂 😂
Elvis never turned his eyes away.
Please do: If I can dream 1968 (white suit), tribute to MLK
Elvis's "If I can Dream" from the 68 comeback special. (White suit version) will Move you also. perhaps one of the greatest in both content and performance.
Yes, yes, yes 👍
Elvis was, as all of us are, an amalgamation of all his experiences and influences. He was a man who drew no lines. He learned from all and cared about everybody.
A great, heartfelt reaction to a song sadly still relevant today! "If I Can Dream" (68 Comeback Special) is another great song to check out.
More relevant now than ever before.
@@RobinMarkowitzcoolmedia Yes, you're right!✌️
This is a Lyrical Masterpiece , bringing the reality from the urban streets , and Elvis has that sad real tone , so perfect from The King
Thanks for your insightful reaction. Yes, the few ways out are effed up. Elvis himself knew this because of the album on which this hit single also appeared. It was the final song of "From Elvis In Memphis," and it's best heard as part of that album. It certainly wasn't initially intended as a "concept album," but that's how it turned out. I suggest listening to an audio-only version of "Long Black Limousine" from the same album. The songs work in tandem. And both end in death as both protagonists attempt escape from poverty. I can't imagine Elvis wasn't thinking of himself while singing "Long Black Limousine." He "got out," for a little while. Elvis was no middle class poser. He grew up in the projects after his parents qualified for a spot.
During these recording sessions, he changed words to several of the songs, clearly sensing a pattern forming as these very emotional sessions in Memphis took shape. He sang of dreams, dreams that died, "empty" dreams . . . it's all over the album. The studio wasn't far from where he first lived in Memphis as a child in The Big City for the first time. On this album, he questions the whole point of "escape." Where does it lead? To a hearse? And not just in one song.
By early 1969, the city was in shambles after the murder of Dr. King. 827 Thomas St., where he sang "In The Ghetto" WAS in the ghetto. And that north Memphis ghetto was already becoming something of a ghost town. It had an eerie sense of emptiness and silence in the 1970s, when I first visited and took photos of the little pink studio that was soon to be demolished.
Along with many, I recommend "If I Can Dream" from 1968. Oh! There's that word again. "Dream." "If I Can Dream" was written by a television-based songwriter who was asked to use Elvis' own words as they all heard them that summer of 1968 to come up with a new song to close out the legendary "Comeback Special" as it later came to be called. That's how television worked back then. Everyone had a specialty. W. Earl Brown wrote songs for TV Specials. Michael Jackson sang at least one of his songs. That was Brown's job.
But this show was unique. Everyone rose to the challenge. Especially Elvis. You will see him singing "If I Can Dream" live with no audience in a white preacher's suit with a small dark blood-red scarf. For all the blood that was so recently spilled. He and the wardrobe man discussed some very serious issues, including that little red scarf. And Vietnam body counts. 1968 may have lost out to 2020/21 as "the worst year ever," but 1968 is still especially horrific as I write this on Dr. King's birthday.
He was the first, with so much visibility, to call for social justice
Check out , If I Can Dream from 1968 Come Back Special , Don't Cry Daddy , Kentucky Rain if you like deep songs. There are so many Elvis songs and styles, Try Power Of My Love and Wear in That Love On Look From Elvis In Memphis album
Elvis could sing anything. He was raised in the Ghettos of Miss and Memphis.
I am 66 years old and I still cry listening to this song. Did it just now. Probably heard this 50 times.
Brilliant reaction man
A deep song that’s very applicable today. It’s very sad and unfortunately true. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Elvis didnt even use a shit ton of words to describe how the ghetto is but he laid down a few words to describe it and those words still stand today! Death immediately replaced by a birth.
Bro you are missing out,,, Elvis was the greatest of all time. He sang so many great songs,,, his favourite music was Gospel. He sang to tell a story and to bring awareness to many different things going on in the World. He actually makes Christmas music sound really good,,, I listen to his holiday album all year it’s that great.
Good on you for listening and reacting to this song. It's easy to be caught up in the emotion of it by the end. It gets me almost every time. Just don't forget the pre-chorus "people don't you understand, this child needs a helping hand" we all have that option. Want to break the cycling, a little bit of kindness and time can go a long way
Still exactly the same in the projects of Chicago unfortunately. One of my favorite Elvis song. My favorite: if I can dream
Amazing song
Loved your reaction you got the meaning on point he did it in 69 sad to think still applys today he did it because he believed he needed to be sung check out If I can dream Walk a mile in my shoes Suspicious minds and Polk salad Annie thank you be safe 😷✌
There is no way any man can erase history.
Elvis was getting it across how his fellow man struggled in life.
He lived in poverty himself, the first big hit that made him money he went out and bought his Mama a house to end her struggle.
Elvis was close to the Black Community he worshiped every walk of life..
R.I.P Elvis, your music will live on..
I really enjoyed your reaction,I could tell it was real honest.
Your black but I'm White but your my brother!
Only one race, Humanity 👊
Thanks again.
Big respect for your reaction. I was born poor, hungry, brown, girl. Heard this song, I got out of the ghetto, song, after 60 years, I still cry when I hear it.
So little has changed, Elvis was a strong supporter of black rights...
Did you guys know this song was rejected by renowned artists of those times because of the associated controversy including rejected by Elvis’ manager T Parker. But The King what he did, The Greatest. No wonder Ali had immense respect for this man
Many Elvis song's make you shed a tear👑
Your emotional honesty and appreciation of this song by Elvis -- priceless BizMatik. Lots of respect for your assessment. I only wish more people knew about this side of Presley. And yes, he too grew up in poverty so he could sing about this subject. Despite his rock background, this song was a hit on the charts.
You said, "he didn't have to sing a song like this." He did meet with resistance when he considered it -- but he listened to no one except himself. Says a lot about the man.
THE KING! 👑
Elvis was born in real bad poverty during the depression. They moved from their small house in Tupelo Mississippi to Memphis Tennessee into public housing apartments. They really struggled. He can sing this song because it was his reality.
Much respect to you for a great reaction to Elvis singing what must be one of the most heartfelt and greatest performances in history.
Every race is in the ghetto.
The song was written by Mac Davis, based in what he saw as a child growing up in Chicago. He started calling it The Vicious Circle but had trouble making the lyrics work. He changed the lyrics and it became In the Ghetto. While Elvis did not grow up in an inner city ghetto, he grew up in extreme poverty and mixed neighborhoods in the South. He knew poverty and the hopelessness for many. As a young man, his main goal was to find a way to get his family out of poverty. Love your reaction. Elvis had great compassion for everyone.
Everytime goosebumps! 👑
Elvis… a gift from God.❤️
He was an incredible man, In real life, he also gave cars ,money, food to people in need, his daughter did a clauberation of in the ghetto. Its on tube very moving as well made me cry as well.look for Elvis / Lisa singing in the Ghetto so beautiful. I think you have beautiful emotions, never be inbarresed and your beautifu
He was born dirt poor and raised in the ghetto as a little boy in tupelo mississippi and as a teenager in memphis and lived in public housing until he made it big.so you see he never forgot where he came from oh Mac davis, wrote the song for The GOAT ❤💯🙏 amen, thank you so much for sharing and love your reaction to the GOAT.god bless you and your family, 👍☝👌🌹🎉🔥🤒😷🇵🇷🇺🇸
How can a grown man age 62 shed tears listening to this beautiful song , very easily I am this man ❤️
Elvis sang from the heart. This song was such a Huge hit , not because it was a catchy tune. He was singing about real life and people knew it.
As someone who came from the suburbs of Chicago, even way back when, we all knew about Cabrini Green... Sad to hear it's the same or worse now there. Great reaction.
60yrs old from Australia, always felt sad when ever I listened to this song.
We may not be in that world, but we do feel for the heart ache & pain that the system has forced onto the beautiful pepole who have been lied to for the elites to get richer.
They want us to heat each other because if we loved each other they would not be able to control us.
They want you divided.
God help us all to break these ties to poverty and truly love and help each other !! There were people who didn't want Elvis to sing this song...he didn't care and sang it anyway because he knew the message was relevant and true to those times....and still are true today !!! Elvis gone but never ever forgotten !!!
This song makes me cry every time I hear it. He sang this in 1969 and things haven't changed. In the beginning when he says "people, don't you understand the child needs a helping hand or he's going to grow up to be an angry young man someday" touches my soul. I've worked for social services for 20 years and I can't believe how many in this country are against helping people if it means they have a few dollars less to spend on Starbucks.
Well said my friend! Ppl have become so detached, so much more selfish, its sad. I appreciate greatly appreciate your job choice, i can tell you genuinely care, i am sure yr heart has been broken many times. In case you do not get told this, Thank you for your effort, your time , giving up a piece of your heart, you are appreciated and I have no doubt made a positive impact on some childs life, maybe saved a child, hopefully helped a parent become a true parent. YOU ARE APPRECIATED! Thank you again.💕
This is Mrs. Ace x. Elvis passed August 16,1977. He's #1. I believe that the man who wrote this song was the late Mac Davis. He was a great writer and performer of music. This song was easy for Elvis to have a heart for. His heart I'm sure has stayed huge, in God's Kingdom. He could feel others pain and had sympathy for them. Mac, was a great performer, with a lot of charisma. It was obvious that he loved his audience, and all people, by the words in his songs. He had his own TV show for awhile, long ago. I think that if you could see him connecting to his audience, you would feel his soul. We all came from the same place and will return there together. People need to open themselves to love. It is more about expressing your humanity to others. It feels good, to those who don'tknow. Loved your review.
This song could be set in any country. And it’s still relevant 😞
Yeah man everyone tears up when they hear this. (And see the other REACTION vids). It's a real good song: really good combination of knowledgeable lyrics and music suiting each other really well, and it reaches down deep really good. Ain't the Tempts or Marvin or Stevie, but it is its own thing. Thank you.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
that was a hard hitting song when it came out , the American dream didn't work for poor people back then and the song is still relevant today
He is the King !!!!!!
My favorite Elvis sing of all time.
Elvis was my distant cousin and grew up dirt poor and he was always hungry and being native American that jim crow crap affected us too and he grew up in shot gun shacks ( crappy houses ) laid out in a community and he never forgot where he came from and he passed before I was born but I grew up poor and hungry too poverty knows no color its an equal opportunity pain in the butt..and Elvis knew exactly what he was singing about
His boy home us on display I think even today. The man was living talented miracle that loved his fans and family.
Credit to Mac Davis as someone pointed out below for writing the song. For folks who only know Elvis from his pop songs or don't know him at all, do yourselves a favor and check out his gospel music. His voice is INCREDIBLE singing gospel music (something else he grew up with)
Brother; 60 years later the world 🌎is still talking about The King, and he's been gone for almost 44 years 😢
This song is more relevant today than it was 50 years ago.
I still cry everytime I hear it.
Elvis had such an amazing voice but also an amazing visionl... He died when I was 10... 1977... Find his song... If I Can DREAM
Surprise! Isn't that a beautiful voice. 😲 Warning, Elvis is addictive, but it's a truly wonderful addiction. ☺
Check out, "Unchained Melody", from a concert 6 weeks before he died. 😪 He was VERY, VERY sick, but gave his best for his fans, as always. 😇 Incredible performance!!!👏👏👏
He had a fantastic sense of humor and loved to joke with his band, backup singers, and the audience. You'll see some of that in the video.
Bro, I’m greatly appreciate, you discovered elvis - he was never of colour. He had an ability and made you feel, this song was written before you were born
A great loss to you and our world
If I can dream is a must hear!! Now that you've heard this I strongly recommend listening to what 3 6 Mafia did with this on documentary Elvis and the black community that echo will never die. Its eye opening..Thanks for great reaction 👍✌
Elvis, King of Rock!
Excellent analysis of the exact issues Elvis was talking about in this song. Deep lyrics and you took it apart perfectly. Terrific response, my brother.