"Mystery Train"

 

"Mystery Train"

Performed by Elvis Presley

I first learned who Elvis was in the movie “Lilo and Stitch,” and ever since I have been able to pick out his very distinct voice. There is no one that sounds like Elvis, which likely played a huge role in the success that he had.

The song “Mystery Train” was originally put out by Junior Parker, however, it was Elvis’ version that caught on and became a popular song. Rather than covering Junior Parker’s version, Elvis more created his own version of the song, so they sound nothing alike.

The lyrics to this song are extremely simple and repetitive. Each section of the song is made up of 3 or 4 lines. The first two lines are the exact same in each section, with a different third line. When there is a fourth line, it is very short and doesn’t hold a ton of weight in the song. Isn’t it interesting that such a repetitive song can do so well in popular music? It makes me wonder if the popularity of the song had to do more with the song itself, or with the performer and the show he put on. Elvis did sell more recordings than anyone else, after all!