The Elvis Presley song that changed Bruce Springsteen's life: 'Shot straight through to my brain'

His unique vision of America, one that invariably looks up from the grit of the earth, touched a generation and provided them with a rock star to honestly believe in. Finding fame in the 1970s, Springsteen's trajectory has only headed upwards since, brandishing a canon of work that few can stand up to. However, for Springsteen, there are a few idols that are far more worthy of your praise.

Over the years, Springsteen has taken the time to share his love for certain artists. Whether it was Paul McCartney and The Beatles or his teenage icon Bob Dylan, Springsteen has often been found to dish out acclaim and plaudits like a well-functioning sprinkler system. Unlike some songwriters, Springsteen has been happy to wear his influences on his sleeve. But while he's got a lot of love for various rock and roll stars, only one man truly changed his life: Elvis Presley.

Some of the other names mentioned above have certainly given colour to Springsteen's life. Some of them even provided him with a way of expressing himself more succinctly than ever, with The Boss having covered so many of Dylan's songs. The Beatles provided a sense of belonging to Springsteen that he never felt possible, and he has routinely cited Roy Orbison as the angel of his inner monologue. However, during a conversation with Desert Island Discs, the singer-songwriter credits Elvis Presley and his most famous song as a distinctive moment in which his life changed forever.

The singer told the famed BBC Radio show that as a child growing up in New Jersey, Elvis' 1956 song 'Hound Dog' was a significant turning point. He selected the track as one disc, which he couldn't live without. 'When I heard it, it just shot straight through to my brain', he recalled. 'I realised, suddenly, that there was more to life than what I'd been living. I was then in pursuit of something, and there'd been a vision laid out before me. You were dealing with the pure thrust, the pure energy of the music itself. I was so very young, but it still hit me like a thunderbolt'.

The obsession with Presley didn't end there for Springsteen, as he followed The King throughout the rest of his career. In 1977, Springsteen and bandmate Stevie Van Zandt got together to see him perform live, with some unsatisfying results. Springsteen later recalled of the show, 'It was not a good night'. To come to terms with his sadness, he supposedly went home and wrote a song titled 'Fire', which he intended to give to Presley. But unfortunately, Presley passed away before the demo reached him, so Springsteen gave the song to rockabilly singer Robert Gordon.

Bruce Springsteen wearing the Elvis Presley King's Court badge.

In 1985, Springsteen would take things a little further as he attempted to break into Graceland, Elvis' famed home. Springsteen shared the story at one of his concerts back in 1985: 'I remember we got out of the cab, and we stood there in front of those gates with the big guitar players on 'em. And when we looked up the driveway, in the second story of the house, you could see a light on, and I figured that Elvis has gotta be up readin' or somethin'. And I told Steve, I said, 'Steve, man, I gotta go check it out'.

The guards naturally stopped him. Most would have given up their pursuit at this point, however Springsteen had a sense of steely determination that was unshakable. Instead of packing up and going home, Springsteen tried to bluster his way through the problems: 'I got to the front door, and I was just about to knock, and guards came out of the woods and asked me what I wanted. I said, 'Is Elvis home?' Then they said, 'No, no, Elvis isn't home. He's in Lake Tahoe'.

Disappointed but not deterred, Springsteen continued: 'So, I started to tell 'em that I was a guitar player and that I had my own band, and that we played in town that night, and that I made some records. And I even told 'em I had my picture on the cover of Time and Newsweek', he shared. 'I had to pull out all the stops to try to make an impression, you know. I don't think he believed me, though, 'cause he just kinda stood there noddin', and then he took me by the arm and put me back out on the street with Steve'.

Sparks are all you need to start a fire if youbhave enough fuel and the New Jersey man certainly had a lot of that to burn, he just need to the lick of flame from a single icon to get things moving. Springsteen's love for Elvis, his songwriting prowess and the swashbuckling style he would bring to every stage he has ever graced can all be traced back to this one song, the track that changed Bruce Springsteen's life forever; 'Hound Dog' by Elvis Presley.

The Night Bruce Springsteen Jumped the Wall at Graceland

 Behind the Button: Elvis Presley's 'Cameo' on Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run
 Kings Court Fan Club Members meeting Elvis & Colonel Parker 1973
 Bruce Springsteen Talks and Sings about Elvis
 Didn't Have To Die : Speculative fiction article : What if Bruce did meet Elvis?
 Elvis and Bruce : Special Feature in Backstreets : The Boss Magazine

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