Elvis and the parents.

I fell in love with Elvis Presley's music back in 1997 when there was an Elvis marathon on the radio commemorating his death. Ever since I've been a fan, even if in this case it "only" means I just love listening to his tender voice and sometimes beautiful, other times energetic but always great songs.

However, being born decades after he rose to fame, I never really understood why parents didn't like him, why they thought his music was so sexual and damaging to their adolescent children. That is, until I heard his version of "My Babe" a few years ago. This song, written by Willie Dixon, first released in 1955 and then recorded by Elvis as a live cover in 1969, is filled with sexual energy, not really because of the simple lyrics but the way he performed it.

The original version, sung by Little Walter is less dynamic, less erotic and the lines themselves are given more importance than in the Elvis cover. Presley took the song and transformed it - Little Walter's was a rather innocent recording while the lyrics in the version Elvis performed are, at one point, hardly comprehensible due to his groans. Add to this his signature moves on the stage and the undeniably omnipresent energy and you can perfectly understand exactly what the aforementioned parents' problem was with one of music's greatest icons. Needless to say, it only makes it all the more interesting and entertaining.