I took a long road trip a few years ago,
Just exploring old Route sixty-six,
When I passed through a sleepy town
Somewhere way back in the sticks.
I stopped at a run-down filling station.
With a run-down old man sitting inside.
He gave me a wave and yelled out to me,
“Hey, man! Now that is a beautiful ride.”
He was admiring my classic Cadillac,
A bright white, 1960 Coupe De Ville.
He said, “I used to have one just like her.
Drivin’ that beauty was one hell of a thrill.”
I had nowhere to go and plenty of time
And the old man’s smile had taken me in
So I said, “Tell you what, lock up for a while
And you and I will take her out for a spin.”
“Hot damn!” he said. “Don’t mind if I do!”
He ran back to the shop and locked the door.
I dusted the seat and said, “Your chariot, sir."
He said, "Alright! Let’s hear that baby roar.”
We left a cloud of dust at that old station
And headed out due south on Route 66.
My new friend and I barreling along
To obey the old song and get some kicks.
A scraggly beard covered most of his face,
But I just had to love the crazy, old guy.
There was something in the way he laughed
And the mischievous twinkle in his eye.
His mind seemed to drift back to the past
To when he was young and the car was new.
I got a tape out of the glove compartment
And said, “Here - I've got something for you.”
It was an old Elvis tape, one of his best.
The old man looked oddly surprised.
And as If You Could See Me Now played,
I noticed tears starting to well in his eyes.
If you could see me now,
The one who said that he would rather roam;
The one who said he'd rather be alone.
If you could only see me now.
A long time passed as we drove along.
We didn’t talk much or feel the need.
He said, “This really means a lot to me.
I hope you’re rewarded for your good deed.”
We drove for miles along the winding highway.
The tape ended and returned to the start.
If you could see me now came on again.
And I noticed again how it tugged at his heart.
If you could hear me now,
Singin' somewhere in the lonely night;
Dreaming of the arms that held me tight.
If you could only hear me now.
Finally, I said, “Is something bothering you?
Is there something you’d like to talk about?
I know I’m a stranger but I’ve found it helps
If you talk to someone and just let it out.”
The old man pulled the car onto the shoulder.
The evening stars were beginning to shine.
He said, “I’ve kept a secret for many years.
There’s so much sadness in this heart of mine.”
"But maybe it’s time that I shared my secret.
My health is failing. I could go any day.
We seem to have a lot in common, you and I,
This road, this old car, the music you play.”
He said, “You see, that’s my music on your radio.”
I said, “I know what you mean. It’s my music, too.”
He smiled and said, “No, son, you don’t understand.
I recorded that song back in seventy-two.”
Oblivious, I said, "Really? Were you in a band?"
He laughed and his upper lip came up on one side.
“You’re not listenin’, man,” he said. “. . . I’m Elvis.”
Then he laughed even harder as my eyes opened wide.
“It’s hard to see me under these whiskers,” he said.
“My hair is gray now and a lot thinner on top.
But I wouldn’t have been able to stay lost too long
Without hiding my face and that big ol’ black mop.”
I said, “Sorry but this is just too hard to believe
Though you do look like Elvis would at seventy-five.
The only reason I’m even accepting the possibility
Is because so many people think he’s still alive.”
He said, “Well, they’re right. It’s all true, I'm afraid.
I was in a lot of trouble and had to start a new life.
I had nothing left to give so I just started over.
She knew my secret and took it with her to the grave.
I haven’t had much to live for since she passed on.
So you’re looking at a man with nothing left to lose.
Life falls away like Autumn leaves till everything's gone."
Eventually, I stopped caring about who he really was
And just felt compassion for the poor, crazy old guy.
I decided to surrender to this strange experience
And let him keep talking until the words ran dry.
I was amazed at how much he knew about Elvis,
As if he'd studied his life to the smallest detail.
It didn't matter to me if he was Elvis or not.
I sat completely enthralled as he spun his tale.
He spoke of how hollow fame and fortune can be.
He spoke of love, heartache and shattered dreams.
His old life had gone from heaven to hell over time.
He said, "Being rich and famous ain't all it seems."
Whoever he was, he seemed to need my help
Or for someone to listen to him in his final days.
He was sure he was going to die at any minute.
He said, "Only God's love never dies or decays."
He looked and sounded so much like Elvis,
I could even see why he believed it himself.
It was easy to imagine him belting "Hounddog"
Before he became this wizened, old elf.
Hours passed before we went back to the station.
I never really believed him but I never said so.
If I could have cured his madness, I wouldn't have.
If being Elvis made him happy, who was I to say no?
He made me swear to never reveal that I saw him,
And if I did, at least to never tell anyone where
Because he didn't know how much time he had left
Before he went to what he called "The Big Up There."
He got out of the car and said, "Hold on a second."
He went inside and came out with an old paper bag.
He said, "This is to thank you for listening so well.
I sure went on. I hope I wasn't too much of a drag."
I said, "Are you kidding? Man, I got to meet Elvis!
And you chose me to tell your biggest secret to!
I just hope you know how much you're missed.
Millions of people would still love to meet you."
This seemed to make him happy for a moment.
He looked down the road as if wanting to return.
Then, just as fast, he snapped back to reality
And said, "Man, it's true - some fool's never learn."
His act sure was convincing, if that's what it was.
I really started feeling like I was with "the King."
So I said, "I hope you don't mind me asking but
Would you mind - I mean, could you . . . sing?"
He smiled and said, "For you, man? Sure I will."
He walked under a lamp and slowly inhaled,
Then sang Love Me Tender softly and sweetly.
And old as he was, his voice never failed.
Love me tender
Love me sweet
Never let me go
You have made my life complete
And I love you so
He looked up at the night sky as he sang
As if serenading someone waiting up there,
In his voice, I heard joy but also sadness,
A deep passion for life, but also despair.
Love me tender
Love me true
All my dreams, fulfill
For my darling, I love you
And I always will
When he finished, I put my arm around him.
We both stood silently, staring up at the moon.
He said, "I miss my wife so much, and my mama.
I hope I get to see her sweet face again soon."
No longer caring what the truth was, I said,
"Can you feel them smiling down on us? I can."
And finally, he broke into tears and we hugged.
The wandering kid and the sad, lonely old man.
He wiped his eyes and said, "You should get goin'.
You're young and there's a lot of highway out there.
I wish I was your age again so I could join you
But I've lived long enough. I've had my share."
We walked back to my car and he opened the door.
He said, "I need you to do me one last favor, y'hear?"
"Anything, Elvis," I said, "Just name it, my friend."
He said, "Don't look in that bag for at least a year."
At this point, nothing shocked me much anymore.
His Elvis act, or delusion, was so darn complete.
"And no matter where you go, remember," he said,
"I'm always beside you, right here in this seat."
"I'll remember, Elvis," I said. "You have my word."
Then he shook my hand and I drove into the dawn.
I watched him get smaller in my rear view mirror.
He waved one last time and then he was gone.
I would often talk to Elvis, or whoever he was,
As I drove that Cadillac under the same moon.
And I kept my promise and didn't open the bag,
Though I decided he was just an amazing, old loon.
I had stuffed the bag into the back of my trunk
To make it easier to resist the urge to peek.
At first it was easy but as the year passed,
That old paper bag took on quite a mystique.
Finally, the day arrived the following summer.
I rescued the old bag and went for a drive.
I didn't want to just open it anywhere.
It had to be somewhere great and alive.
Playing Blue Hawaii, I drove to the beach
And parked on a cliff overlooking the sea.
I looked at the empty seat and smiled,
Imagining the old man sitting there next to me.
Then I slowly peeled back the wrinkled paper
And pulled out a white, sequined jumpsuit.
It was an exact replica, complete with tassles!
Crazy or not, his commitment was absolute.
I laughed at the absurdity of the whole situation
And at the seed of doubt still alive in my mind.
Was he Elvis or just some delusional crackpot?
Whatever the case, he really put me in a bind.
I said to his memory, "You got me good, old man.
And whoever you were, I hope you're finally free."
Then, in a pocket, I found a yellowed note that read . . .
"I love you and miss you, daddy.
~ Lisa Marie."
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