Straight From 'The King of Rock and Roll' Himself—Here Are the 50 Best Elvis Presley Quotes!
Celebrate Elvis' birthday with his wisest words.
Elvis Presley is a name almost anyone would recognize—after all, he's a music icon who rose to fame in the 1950s and will forever be known as "The King of Rock and Roll." And while his songs and dance moves are what he's mostly known for, he had plenty of insight to share throughout his life as well. Enjoy reading through the best Elvis Presley quotes!
Not only was Elvis a singer (with 14 Grammy nominations), he also acted in 33 successful films and served in the U.S. Army. Because of his larger-than-life celebrity persona, it might surprise people to learn certain Elvis facts like his continuous stage fright and humble character even after blasting off into stardom. And with such an intriguing life story and captivating presence, it's really no wonder the critically acclaimed Elvis biopic (starring Austin Butler) has been making such an impact on viewers.
Interested in getting a closer look at the man behind the iconic music? Let's get you all shook up with these 50 quotes from "the King" himself.
50 Elvis Presley Quotes
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1. "Values are like fingerprints. Nobody's are the same, but you leave 'em all over everything you do."
2. "When things go wrong, don't go with them.”
3. "It's not how much you have that makes people look up to you, it's who you are.”
4. "I hope I didn't bore you too much with my life story."
5. "When I was a boy, I always saw myself as a hero in comic books and in movies. I grew up believing this dream."
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6. "Don’t criticize what you don’t understand, son. You never walked in that man’s shoes.”
7. "I'm trying to keep a level head. You have to be careful out in the world. It's so easy to get turned."
8. "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."
9. "Animals don't hate, and we're supposed to be better than them.”
10. "I was an overnight sensation."
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11. "Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't going away.”
12. "I learned how important it is to entertain people and give them a reason to come and watch you play."
13. "I'm so nervous. I've always been nervous, ever since I was a kid."
14. "Sad thing is, you can still love someone and be wrong for them.”
15. "They put me on television. And the whole thing broke loose. It was wild, I tell ya for sure."
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16. "Do something worth remembering.”
17. "I never expected to be anybody important."
18. "I was training to be an electrician. I suppose I got wired the wrong way round somewhere along the line."
19. "Those movies sure got me into a rut."
20. "I've tried to lead a straight, clean life, not set any kind of a bad example."
21. "People think you’re crazy if you talk about things they don’t understand.”
22. "The Lord can give, and the Lord can take away. I might be herding sheep next year."
Best Elvis Quotes
23. "I figure all any kid needs is hope and the feeling he or she belongs. If I could do or say anything that would give some kid that feeling, I would believe I had contributed something to the world."
24. "Rhythm is something you either have or don't have, but when you have it, you have it all over."
25. "The first time that I appeared on stage, it scared me to death. I really didn’t know what all the yelling was about. I didn’t realize that my body was moving. It’s a natural thing to me. So to the manager backstage I said, ‘What’d I do? What’d I do?’ And he said, 'Whatever it is, go back and do it again.'”
26. "Whatever I will become will be what God has chosen for me."
27. "If you let your head get too big, it'll break your neck.”
28. "More than anything else, I want the folks back at home to think right of me."
29. "I'd just like to be treated like a regular customer."
30. "From the time I was a kid, I always knew something was going to happen to me. Didn't know exactly what."
31. "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.”
32. "It's human nature to gripe, but I'm going ahead and doing the best I can."
33. "Where could I go but to the Lord?”
34. "I knew by heart all the dialogue of James Dean's films; I could watch Rebel Without a Cause a hundred times over."
35. "The army teaches boys to think like men."
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36. "Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine."
37. "Just because I managed to do a little something, I don't want anyone back home to think I got the big head."
38. "Man, I really like Vegas.”
39. "I was an only child, and mother was always right with me all my life."
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40. "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."
41. "To judge a man by his weakest link or deed is like judging the power of the ocean by one wave.”
42. "I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to."
Famous Elvis Quotes
43. "I think I have something tonight that's not quite correct for evening wear. Blue suede shoes."
44. "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."
45. "I’ve never gotten over what they call stagefright. I go through it every show. I’m pretty concerned, I’m pretty much thinking about the show. I never get completely comfortable with it, and I don’t let the people around me get comfortable with it, in that I remind them that it’s a new crowd out there, it’s a new audience, and they haven’t seen us before. So it’s got to be like the first time we go on.”
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46. "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."
47. "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.”
48. "I'm not trying to be sexy. It's just my way of expressing myself when I move around."
49. "Until we meet again, may God bless you as he has blessed me."
50. "Thank ya, thank ya very much."
Next, find out which of Elvis’ famous outfits sold for more than $1 million.