I’ve been playing a game with my Facebook friends for almost a week now, waiting for the day one of them figured out what I was doing.
Saturday evening, I posted this without comment:
A well I bless my soul
What’s wrong with me?
I’m itching like a man on a fuzzy tree
My friends say I’m actin’ wild as a bug
I’m in love
I’m all shook up.
Of course, they are the opening lines to Elvis Presley’s hit song “All Shook Up.”
Now, it’s not uncommon for me to simply post odd things, sometimes to generate discussion and sometimes for some simple joy found in the post.
Sunday afternoon, I posted a few lines from “Burning Love.” Early Monday morning, my post was from Elvis’ best-selling song (according to officialcharts.com), “It’s Now or Never.”
This was about the point that some folks were taking note something was going on. Some contributed lines from other artists and songs, named the song I quoted, added more lines from the song, etc. Following were “Jailhouse Rock,” “Return to Sender,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight?,” “The Wonder of You” and “Suspicious Minds.”
Responding to “Suspicious Minds” Wednesday, one friend quipped, “What’s with all the song lyrics? You having lady probs?”
My first acknowledgement I was up to something was, “There’s a rhyme and a reason and someone will figure it out within the next few days.”
That set folks to working on it.
Thursday morning, I posted from “Good Luck Charm”:
Come on and be my little good luck charm
Uh-huh huh, you sweet delight
I want a good luck charm
a-hanging on my arm
To have, (to have), to hold, (to hold) tonight.
Shortly after that, in a comment on the previous song, came this from David Trigg, a fellow I’ve not seen since junior high.
“Anniversary of death of Elvis” was all he wrote.
Ding-ding-ding.
Next Wednesday, Aug. 16, will be the 40th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. I know that without looking it up because it came at a special time in our lives.
Leah and I married at sunrise on Aug. 15, 1977. We were on our honeymoon when news tore across the country of the death of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll at the age of 42.
Few entertainers are the type of people whose deaths are remembered for decades. Elvis is one of those.
Kentucky rain keeps pouring down
And up ahead’s another town
That I’ll go walking thru
With the rain in my shoes,
Searchin’ for you
In the cold Kentucky rain,
In the cold Kentucky rain.
— “Kentucky Rain”
Steve Martaindale 