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“Flaming Star”: Exploring Elvis Presley’s Remarkably Patriotic Recording šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡øšŸŽ¶2Cach

About The Song

ā€œFlaming 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 ā€œFlaming 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 ā€œHot 100ā€ at #85. Four weeks later, on May 15,Ā Flaming StarĀ reached its chart peak at #14. That same week Elvisā€™ next single, ā€œI Feel So Bad,ā€Ā entered the chart at #43. Radio stations switched over to the new Presley tune, and ā€œFlaming Starā€Ā quickly slid off the ā€œHot 100ā€ after seven weeks on the chart. In the end, radio stations used it merely as a ā€œfixā€ for Elvis fans in the time void between two Presley singles.

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There was at least one American disc jockey, however, who held Elvisā€™ recording of ā€œFlaming Starā€Ā in very high regard. In the May 15, 1961, issue ofĀ Billboard,Ā the following question was posed to a panel of DJs. ā€œWhat is your all-time favorite record and why?ā€ Tom Rounds of KPOI in Honolulu replied as follows:

ā€œThe 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 ā€˜Flaming 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€

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As it turns out, then, ā€œFlaming Starā€Ā may be Elvis Presleyā€™s most patriotic recording.

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Lyric

Letā€™s sing along with the lyrics!

Evā€™ry 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, donā€™t shine on me, flaming star
Flaming star, keep behind me, flaming star
Thereā€™s a lot of livinā€™ Iā€™ve 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€™ around

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Flaming star, donā€™t shine on me, flaming star
Flaming star, keep behind me, flaming star
Thereā€™s a lot of livinā€™ Iā€™ve got to do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Flaming star

One fine day, Iā€™ll see that flaming star
That flaming star, over my shoulder
And when I see, that old flaming star
Iā€™ll know my time, my time has come

Flaming star, donā€™t shine on me, flaming star
Flaming star, keep behind me, flaming star
Thereā€™s a lot of livinā€™ Iā€™ve got to do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true
Flaming star

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