TEN SONGS THAT WILL MAKE AN ELVIS FAN OUT OF ANYBODY

There is a shallow way to listen to Elvis Presley—and then there is the way that listens beneath the surface. Strip away the radio staples—Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock—and the cultural caricature—the jumpsuits, etc.—and what remains is a man drawn to sorrow, mercy, faith, repentance, longing, and hope.

Elvis was not merely singing songs; he was pouring himself into them, carrying the weight of human frailty in his voice. In that way, his deeper recordings feel almost devotional—not because they quote the Word of God directly, but because they wrestle honestly with the same questions the Bible addresses: pain, comfort, perseverance, and redemption. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these He does not despise” (Psalm 51:17). Elvis understood that posture, and he sang from it.

What follows is not a countdown of popularity, but a meditation—ten songs that reveal the depth of a searching soul, capable of softness, conviction, humility, and reverence. There are many more than this. But this is a good place to start.

10. TOMORROW IS A LONG TIME

Written by Bob Dylan, this song unfolds like a private confession. The performance feels almost whispered, as if the singer is careful not to bruise the truth he is carrying. It is patience steeped in loneliness—waiting without assurance, loving without conditions. “It is good that one should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:26). Elvis does not rush the ache; he allows the waiting itself to testify.

9. IT’S MIDNIGHT

Here is the hour when defenses fall and honesty rises. This song lives in the stillness where regrets grow loud. “My tears have been my food day and night” (Psalm 42:3). Elvis does not dramatize sorrow; he respects it.

8. BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER

This is not a performance for applause; it is an offering. Elvis sings as one who longs to carry burdens he cannot remove. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). His voice becomes shelter.

7. SUSPICIOUS MINDS (LIVE AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN)

This is just good. Really good. The best version of this fantastic song. Really good. Did I say that already?

6. ANY DAY NOW

Urgency meets restraint. Love feels fragile, time feels thin. “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Elvis honors the fleeting nature of what we hold dear.

5. JUST PRETEND

This is longing without shame. The ache is real, and the imagination becomes refuge. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12). Elvis sings from that sickness without bitterness.

4. THE LAST FAREWELL

This is one of many examples of what happens when one of the greatest songs ever written falls into the hands of the greatest song interpreter of all time. Here is a sense of finality that does not shout but lingers. It feels like standing at the edge of memory, looking back with gratitude and sorrow intertwined. “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Elvis sings as one who understands that some goodbyes are sacred, and that letting go can itself be an act of grace.

3. LOVE COMING DOWN

This is a song of longing and frustration, a man confronted with love that should be present but is being lost. The voice carries the weight of disappointment and the ache of waiting for connection that remains just out of reach. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12). Elvis inhabits the tension fully, letting the silence and the missed opportunity speak as loudly as the music itself.

2. AND THE GRASS WON’T PAY NO MIND

Creation itself becomes a teacher—quiet, patient, unbothered by human noise. “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow” (Matthew 6:28). Elvis sounds at peace here, as though breathing slower for the first time. This was originally done by Neil Diamond, but after Elvis did it, it became his. If you like music—deep, rich, spiritual music—this one will win you over.

1. AN AMERICAN TRILOGY (LIVE)

This is not spectacle; it is proclamation. Pain, hope, division, and mercy collide in a single offering. “Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed” (Psalm 85:10). Elvis stands as a vessel, not the focus.

Elvis Presley reminds us that depth does not require perfection—only honesty. The same voice that could shake an arena could also kneel in quiet reverence. When we listen closely—to music, to one another, to the Word of God—we may discover that what moves us most deeply is not polish, but truth offered without defense.

BDD