Shelley

Hahahahahhahahahaha
And I had no cause to doubt you
Hahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahaha ... I better ... swing it baby
Hahahaha ... shall I come back again?
Tell me dear are you lonesome - hahaha

That part where the backing singing's really loud and just way, way too much? Yeah, that's me.

Want to know the truth? I was kind of embarrassed for him, that's why I was clowning around too. I thought that if I joined in, that would take some of the attention away from Elvis.

What's that he says? "Sing it, baby," or "swing it, baby," or something? The look on his face, when he turned toward me ... hard to describe exactly, but it seemed almost like relief, I'd say. And maybe some panic.

He was a sweet man, a gentle man - but there was a sad side to him that he never showed the world. I'll always believe that, when he started falling apart in that song, he'd let the mask slip. And you know what? I think for a moment he thought he'd never stop laughing. And that laughter, whatever it is, it's not the happy kind.

I had an aunt once, a real strong woman. One day, she started weeping and she just couldn't stop; it was awful to see, and she couldn't tell you why. They called it a nervous breakdown, but - well, those're just words really, aren't they.

After that moment he caught my eye, it kind of broke the spell for him. You can tell he starts to get a lid on it.

There's a moment sometimes, when you're on stage, and you feel how ridiculous it all is. There's some of that feeling in his laugh, I think. But I don't know for sure: he wouldn't talk about it afterwards, other than as a joke - like it was the biggest joke ever.

I always loved singing with him, it was a real privilege. Whatever anyone says about him, he loved making music. He always loved that song too - never felt he'd done it right, but he thought it was a real pretty tune.

Even the prettiest tunes can sound a bit hollow when you sing them night after night, though. And maybe some people aren't meant to sing songs about lonesomeness.


Story begins here