Elvis Presley’s “Green, Green Grass of Home”. A song that tugs at the heartstrings with its poignant lyrics and Elvis’s unmistakable melancholic croon. Released in 1975 on his album “Today”, it became a surprise hit, showcasing a more introspective side to the King of Rock and Roll.
Composed by Claude Putman Jr., the song paints a vivid picture of nostalgia and longing. It opens with a homecoming dream, a vision so real it aches. The narrator steps off a train in his old hometown, greeted by the familiar sights and sounds – his parents waiting, the girl with sunshine hair, the very “green, green grass of home” beneath his feet. The lyrics evoke a simpler time, a bygone era of innocence, perhaps even a yearning for a life not lived.
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But the dream takes a poignant turn. The narrator awakens to the harsh reality – “four gray walls that surround me”. This could be a metaphorical prison, a place of confinement, or perhaps a reflection of a lonely reality far from the warmth of home. The song doesn’t shy away from the harshness of this contrast.
Yet, there’s a glimmer of hope. The final verse speaks of a different kind of homecoming, a final rest. “Green, green grass of home” takes on a new meaning, a symbol of peace and solace. The image of being laid to rest beneath the familiar earth, perhaps near the old oak tree, offers a melancholic comfort.
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“Green, Green Grass of Home” is more than just a nostalgic ballad. It’s a meditation on life’s impermanence, the power of memory, and the enduring comfort of home, even if it exists only in dreams or the quiet embrace of the earth.
Elvis’s delivery is masterful, his voice conveying both the sweetness of the dream and the bittersweet sting of reality. It’s a song that resonates with anyone who has ever felt the pang of longing for a simpler time, a lost love, or the irreplaceable comfort of home.
“Green, Green Grass Of Home”
As I step down from the train,
And there to meet me is my mama and papa
Down the road I look and there runs Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It’s good to touch the green, green grass of homeYes, they’ll all be there to meet me,
All creatures smiling sweetly
It’s good to touch the green, green grass of homeThe old house is still standing,
Though the paint is cracked and dry
And there’s an old oak tree that I used to play on
Down the lane I’ll walk with my sweet Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It’s good to touch the green, green grass of homeThen I awake and look around me
Cold gray walls surround me
And I realize that I was only dreamin’
There’s a guard and there’s a sad old padre
Arm and arm we’ll walk at daybreak
Again I’ll touch the green, green grass of home
Yes, they’ll all be there to meet me
In the shadow of that old oak tree
As they lay me beneath the green, green grass of home