50 Elvis Presley Quotes That Will Have You Singing “Hound Dog”

From “Love Me Tender” to “Hound Dog”, Elvis Presley is a cultural icon of American music. The Elvis Presley quotes below illustrate the man behind the music we all know and love. 

What’s your favorite Elvis Presley song? 

Elvis Presley began his music career at 18-years-old after being discovered by prominent Sun Records producer Sam Phillips. His 20-year long career in entertainment included over a dozen studio albums, 11 hit singles, and starring roles in over a dozen feature films. Today, Elvis Presley is the number three best selling artist of all time, behind only Garth Brooks and The Beatles. 

Below we’ll look at the life and career of the “king of rock and roll” through his own words. 

Also check out these Freddie Mercury quotes about being yourself.

Relatable Elvis Presley quotes

1. “There are too many people that depend on me. I’m too obligated. I’m in too far to get out.” – Elvis Presley

2. “It’s human nature to gripe, but I’m going ahead and doing the best I can.” – Elvis Presley

3. “I never expected to be anybody important.” – Elvis Presley

4. “I’ll never feel comfortable taking a strong drink, and I’ll never feel easy smoking a cigarette. I just don’t think those things are right for me.” – Elvis Presley

5. “I’m trying to keep a level head. You have to be careful out in the world. It’s so easy to get turned.” – Elvis Presley

6. “I think I have something tonight that’s not quite correct for evening wear. Blue suede shoes.” – Elvis Presley

7. “It’s not how much you have that makes people look up to you, it’s who you are.” – Elvis Presley

8. “Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave ’em all over everything you do.” – Elvis Presley

9. “Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.” – Elvis Presley

10. “When things go wrong, don’t go with them.” – Elvis Presley

11. “Sad thing is, you can still love someone and be wrong for them.”  – Elvis Presley

12. “Do something worth remembering.” – Elvis Presley

13. “Don’t criticize what you don’t understand, son. You never walked in that man’s shoes.” – Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley quotes about career

14. “Man, that record came out and was real big in Memphis. They started playing it, and it got real big. Don’t know why-the lyrics had no meaning.” – Elvis Presley

15. “I sure lost my musical direction in Hollywood. My songs were the same conveyor belt mass production, just like most of my movies were.” – Elvis Presley

16. “I’ve tried to lead a straight, clean life, not set any kind of a bad example.” – Elvis Presley

17. “I happened to come along in the music business when there was no trend.” – Elvis Presley

18. “The closest I ever came to getting married was just before I started singing. In fact, my first record saved my neck.” – Elvis Presley

19. “I’ve never written a song in my life. It’s all a big hoax.” – Elvis Presley

20. “That’s why I hate to get started in these jam sessions. I’m always the last one to leave.” – Elvis Presley

21. “I’m no hillbilly singer.” – Elvis Presley

22. “Since the beginning, it was just the same. The only difference, the crowds are bigger now.” – Elvis Presley

23. “My movements, ma’am, are all leg movements. I don’t do nothing with my body.” – Elvis Presley

24. “I like to sing ballads the way Eddie Fisher does and the way Perry Como does. But the way I’m singing now is what makes the money.” – Elvis Presley

You might also like these Miles Davis quotes from a legendary figure in American music.

Elvis Presley quotes to inspire greatness

25. “The colored folks been singing it and playing it just like I’m doin’ now, man, for more years than I know. I got it from them.” – Elvis Presley

26. “I don’t think I’m bad for people. If I did think I was bad for people, I would go back to driving a truck, and I really mean this.” – Elvis Presley

27. “I learned how important it is to entertain people and give them a reason to come and watch you play.” – Elvis Presley

28. “Rhythm is something you either have or don’t have, but when you have it, you have it all over.” – Elvis Presley

29. “The image is one thing and the human being is another. It’s very hard to live up to an image, put it that way.” – Elvis Presley

30. “Rock and roll music, if you like it, if you feel it, you can’t help but move to it. That’s what happens to me. I can’t help it.’” – Elvis Presley

31. “A live concert to me is exciting because of all the electricity that is generated in the crowd and on stage. It’s my favorite part of the business, live concerts.” – Elvis Presley

32. “I don’t know anything about music. In my line you don’t have to.” – Elvis Presley

33. “Some people tap their feet, some people snap their fingers, and some people sway back and forth. I just sorta do ’em all together, I guess.” – Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley quotes about his upbringing

34. “I was training to be an electrician. I suppose I got wired the wrong way round somewhere along the line.” – Elvis Presley

35. “When I got outta High School I was driving a truck. I was just a poor boy from Memphis, Memphis.” – Elvis Presley

36. “When I was a boy, I always saw myself as a hero in comic books and in movies. I grew up believing this dream.” – Elvis Presley

37. “Later on they send me to Hollywood. To make movies. It was all new to me. I was only 21 years old.” – Elvis Presley

38. “The next thing I knew, I was out of the service and making movies again. My first picture was called, GI Blues. I thought I was still in the army.” – Elvis Presley

39. “After a hard day of basic training, you could eat a rattlesnake.” – Elvis Presley

40. “The army teaches boys to think like men.” – Elvis Presley

41. “I was an only child, and Mother was always right with me all my life. I used to get very angry at her when I was growing up-it’s a natural thing.” – Elvis Presley

42. “I’m so nervous. I’ve always been nervous, ever since I was a kid.” – Elvis Presley

43. “From the time I was a kid, I always knew something was going to happen to me. Didn’t know exactly what.” – Elvis Presley

44. “I knew by heart all the dialogue of James Dean’s films; I could watch Rebel Without a Cause a hundred times over.” – Elvis Presley

You might also like these Prince quotes and lyrics about life, creativity, and music.

Elvis Presley quotes on success

45. “Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine.” – Elvis Presley

46. “More than anything else, I want the folks back at home to think right of me.” – Elvis Presley

47. “I have no use for bodyguards, but I have very specific use for two highly trained certified public accountants.” – Elvis Presley

48. “Just because I managed to do a little something, I don’t want anyone back home to think I got the big head.” – Elvis Presley

49. “The Lord can give, and the Lord can take away. I might be herding sheep next year.” – Elvis Presley

50. “If you let your head get too big, it’ll break your neck.” – Elvis Presley

What’s your favorite memory of Elvis Presley?

Although Elvis Presley is one of the most popular artists ever, the above quotes reveal that he was just a regular guy at the end of the day. Through all of his success, he strived to stay grounded and make his family proud of him. 

His work ethic is also undeniable. From music to movies, he put everything he could into executing his best work possible. That’s a large reason why Presley is still relevant to this day, over forty years after his untimely death. 

Is there an Elvis Presley quote or lyric up above that you can’t get out of your head? Drop us a comment below!