Elvis Went To Hollywood – English Lyrics

• By: Counting Crows

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the colorful and thought-provoking lyrics of Counting Crows' "Elvis Went To Hollywood". This song is a great example of how the band blends rock and Americana with surreal imagery, offering a unique way to engage with the English language and expand your vocabulary through vivid storytelling.

[English]

November promises it seems,

Of broken February dreams

That don't come true

until you remember me

I don't remember you.

Were you the one who liked to sing?

Or just some other one.

It's strange how hate remains and stays

the same and we're always changing.

We are driving on the ceiling

There are aliens on motorcycles

Riding in the radio

while we destroy the world;

I said, "oh oh - oh no no"

The news is read, the future's dead,

When Elvis went to Hollywood

That's when everything went wrong.

So long goodbye,

It tastes of wedding cakes

and the sound of nursey rhymes

The ghosts of Roderick,

of Alex Chilten, of Victor Frankenstein

the girl you always loved

the one you have no memory of

It's strange how hate remains

to paper over the invasion

We are driving on the ceiling

There are aliens on motorcycles

Hiding in the radio,

while we devour the world

I said - oh oh, oh no no

The future said, the news is dead

When Elvis went to Hollywood

That's when everything went wrong.

The god of Maine proclaims

the last evacuation of a dream

The gospel screams the sock of movie stars

and girly magazines

Spacemen too, from somewhere far away

You have to say it's strange we prayed in vain,

The rockets came and now we're fading.

We are hiding on the ceiling

There are aliens on motorcycles

Riding from the radio, while they destroy the world.

I said - oh oh, oh no no

The paper said, the King is dead

When Elvis went to Hollywood,

That's when everything went wrong.

...

Key Grammar Structures

• November promises it seems, Of broken February dreams

  ➔ Gerund as subject, Prepositional phrase as adjective

  ➔ "November promises" uses a noun ('November') acting as a gerund, functioning as the subject of the sentence. 'Of broken February dreams' is a prepositional phrase modifying 'promises'.

• It's strange how hate remains and stays the same and we're always changing.

  ➔ Complex sentence structure, coordinating conjunctions, present continuous vs. simple present

  ➔ The sentence demonstrates a complex structure with multiple clauses linked by 'and'. 'remains and stays' uses simple present to describe a constant state, while 'we're always changing' uses present continuous to emphasize an ongoing process.

• We are driving on the ceiling

  ➔ Present continuous tense, prepositional phrase of place

  ➔ "We are driving" is the present continuous, indicating an action happening now. "on the ceiling" is a prepositional phrase specifying *where* the action is taking place.

• There are aliens on motorcycles Riding in the radio

  ➔ Existential 'there is/are', gerund as noun, prepositional phrase

  ➔ "There are aliens" introduces the existence of aliens. "Riding" functions as a gerund, acting as a noun describing what the aliens are doing. "in the radio" is a prepositional phrase indicating location.

• The god of Maine proclaims the last evacuation of a dream

  ➔ Genitive case ('of Maine'), noun as adjective, noun phrase as object

  ➔ "of Maine" shows possession, indicating which god is being referred to. "Maine" acts as an adjective modifying 'god'. The entire phrase 'the last evacuation of a dream' is the object of the verb 'proclaims'.