About the Song
Ah, Elvis Presley and “Way Down”, a melody that takes us back to the twilight years of the King, a time of velvet whispers and soulful introspection. Released in 1977, just months before the music world’s sun set on his earthly reign, “Way Down” wasn’t just a song, it was a sigh, a poignant ode to the yearning that lingers in the heart’s deepest chambers.
For those of us who grew up with Elvis’s vibrant growl shaking our teenage windows, “Way Down” offered a different kind of Elvis. Gone was the hip-swaying young lion, replaced by a man seasoned with life’s joys and sorrows, his voice a mellow whiskey, smooth yet laced with a touch of smoky wisdom. The melody itself, a slow-burning embers of soul, mirrored this shift. It wasn’t a rock and roll firestorm, but a gentle, flickering flame that drew you in, closer to the heart of the man behind the legend.
The lyrics, penned by Layng Martine Jr., were as much a reflection of Elvis’s own journey as they were a universal hymn to the human condition. “Way down where the music plays,” he croons, his voice a velvet caress on the soul. It’s a call to the depths, to the hidden corners where our deepest emotions reside, where the music of our lives truly resonates.
But “Way Down” isn’t just about introspection. It’s a song that pulsates with a flickering hope, a quiet ember that refuses to be extinguished. “Way down where the fires blaze,” Elvis sings, his voice rising with a hint of defiance. It’s a reminder that even in the darkest corners, the embers of passion and joy can still flicker, waiting for the right gust of wind to ignite.
The song’s final lines, “Down, down, way, way on down,” are more than just a lyrical coda. They’re an invitation, a gentle urging to surrender to the depths, to explore the hidden corners of ourselves where the true music plays. It’s a call to embrace the shadows as much as the light, to find beauty in the bittersweet melody of life’s journey.
So, dear friends, let “Way Down” wash over you, let its gentle rhythm soothe your soul, let its smoky whispers ignite the embers within. It’s a song that transcends generations, speaking to the timeless yearning for connection, for meaning, for that spark that keeps our hearts beating even in the twilight hours. And in the hushed tones of Elvis’s final years, we find not just a farewell, but a poignant reminder to keep searching, keep listening, for the music that plays “Way Down” within each of us.
Video
Lyrics
Babe, you’re getting closer
The lights are goin’ dim
The sound of your breathin’
Made the mood I’m in
All of my resistance
Lying on the floor
Taking me to places
I’ve never been before
Ooh, and I can feel it
Feel it, feel it, feel it
Way down where the music plays
Way down like a tidal wave
Way down where the fires blaze
Way down, down
Ooh, my head is spinnin’
You got me in your spell
A hundred magic fingers
A swirling carousel
The medicine within me
No doctor could prescribe
Your love is doing’ something
That I just can’t describe
Ooh, and I can feel it
Feel it, feel it, feel it
Way down where the music plays
Way down like a tidal wave
Way down where the fires blaze
Way down, down
Hold me again
Tight as you can
I need you so
Baby, let’s go
Way down where it feels so good
Way down where I hoped it would
Way down where I never could
Way down, down
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