Time-Traveling Ballad: “I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago” (1972) 🎤

Elvis Presley. The King of Rock and Roll. A name synonymous with electrifying performances, hip-swiveling charisma, and a voice that could melt hearts and shake foundations.

But there’s more to Elvis than just the early rockabilly hits and the sequined jumpsuits of later years. There’s a depth, a vulnerability, and a surprising willingness to experiment that often gets overlooked.

“I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago” is a prime example of this. Released in 1972 on the album Elvis Now, it finds the King in a contemplative mood, venturing far from the high-octane energy of his earlier work.

This song isn’t about blue suede shoes or heartbreak hotels. It’s a introspective ballad, a meditation on the vastness of time and the cyclical nature of life. The title itself throws us off-kilter. Ten thousand years? This isn’t the swaggering rock icon we’re used to. It hints at a deeper yearning, a search for meaning beyond the fleeting pleasures of the rock and roll lifestyle.

Of course, it’s easy to dismiss this as a late-career Elvis, a faded star clinging to some semblance of relevance. But that would be a mistake. “I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago” is a testament to Presley’s artistic growth. It shows him grappling with existential questions, a theme that resonates deeply with anyone who’s ever pondered their place in the grand scheme of things.

So, as we delve into this song, let’s set aside our preconceptions of the young, hip-shaking Elvis. Here, we encounter a more mature artist, one willing to explore the complexities of life and mortality. It’s a different Elvis, perhaps, but no less compelling.

“I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago”