“Flaming Star”: Exploring Elvis Presley’s Remarkably Patriotic Recording šŗšøš¶2Cach
About The Song
āFlaming Starā is a song recorded by Elvis Presley for the soundtrack of the 1960 film of the same name. The film was a Western directed by Don Siegel, in which Elvis Presley played the role of Pacer Burton, a half-Indian youth caught between two worlds.
The song āFlaming Starā was written by Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards. It was the title track of both the film and the soundtrack album. The lyrics of the song convey the struggle and conflict faced by the character Elvis portrayed in the film, torn between his Native American heritage and the hostility he faces due to it.
On April 17, 1961, the tune broke into the āHot 100ā at #85. Four weeks later, on May 15,Ā Flaming StarĀ reached its chart peak at #14. That same week Elvisā next single, āI Feel So Bad,āĀ entered the chart at #43. Radio stations switched over to the new Presley tune, and āFlaming StarāĀ quickly slid off the āHot 100ā after seven weeks on the chart. In the end, radio stations used it merely as a āfixā for Elvis fans in the time void between two Presley singles.
There was at least one American disc jockey, however, who held Elvisā recording of āFlaming StarāĀ in very high regard. In the May 15, 1961, issue ofĀ Billboard,Ā the following question was posed to a panel of DJs. āWhat is your all-time favorite record and why?ā Tom Rounds of KPOI in Honolulu replied as follows:
āThe record that helped raise funds for a memorial to the men entombed in the sunken battleship Arizona at Pearl Harbor has become my favorite all-time single. Col. Tom Parker sent the first acetate of āFlaming Starā to KPOI in a joint venture to promote a fundraiser by Elvis Presley here. The record was an overnight success and helped provide part of the tremendous public backing still needed at the time to commemorate a tragic day in American history.ā
As it turns out, then, āFlaming StarāĀ may be Elvis Presleyās most patriotic recording.
Video
Lyric
Letās sing along with the lyrics!
Evāry man, has a flaming star
A flaming star, over his shoulder
And when a man, sees his flaming star
He knows his time, his time has comeFlaming star, donāt shine on me, flaming star
Flaming star, keep behind me, flaming star
Thereās a lot of livinā Iāve got to do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Flaming starWhen I ride, I feel that flaming star
That flaming star, over my shoulder
And so I ride, front of that flaming star
Never lookinā around, never lookinā aroundAdvertisementFlaming star, donāt shine on me, flaming star
Flaming star, keep behind me, flaming star
Thereās a lot of livinā Iāve got to do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Flaming starOne fine day, Iāll see that flaming star
That flaming star, over my shoulder
And when I see, that old flaming star
Iāll know my time, my time has comeFlaming star, donāt shine on me, flaming star
Flaming star, keep behind me, flaming star
Thereās a lot of livinā Iāve got to do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Flaming star