Elvis Presley always put on a great show whether he was performing on stage or on screen. His natural charisma and charm made him a hit with the ladies, but it was his energized interpretations of songs and sexually suggestive performance style that really set him apart from other musicians and singers of his time.
In 1977, at an Alabama concert, Elvis unexpectedly stopped singing and then began to sing a song he had never performed in public before. The song wasn’t rehearsed, yet Elvis sang it nonetheless.
He sat down at the piano and played “Where No One Stands Alone” by himself.
He stated in an interview that he had a desire to sing it. Fortunately, the audio of the concert was recorded so we may hear him perform it.
The song opens with the lines:
“Once I stood in the night
With my head bowed low
In the darkness
As black as could be
And my heartfelt alone
And I cried, oh Lord
Don’t hide your face from me.”
At our loneliest and most difficult moments, it is easy to feel that we are eclipsed by darkness with no one to share the burden. Yet, unbeknownst to us, someone always knows the pain and hurt we feel – they just suffer silently alongside us.
“Hold my hand all the way
Every hour, every day
Come here to the great unknown
Take my hand
Let me stand
Where no one stands alone”
Though this is not the typical “rock and roll” music we associate with Elvis Presley, it is still a beautiful song that speaks to our hearts. Like everyone else, Elvis had his struggles in life despite the persona he put on during his performances. There were times when he felt overwhelmed by it all, but he always managed to keep smiling for his fans.
“Like a King, I may live in a palace so tall
With great riches to call my own
But I don’t know a thing
In this whole wide world
That’s worse than being alone”
In this song, Elvis was letting the globe know how lonely he felt in this life, despite having everything. He understood that Jesus was all he required.
In a beautiful and heartwarming video, Lisa Marie Presley—the only child of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley—does a duet with her father in this song. The video and audio of his solo and duet renditions of the song were uploaded on different YouTube channels that now have millions of views.
We should remember that Jesus is always with us, no matter how hard life gets. Our Father loves us and would never give us more than we can handle. Sometimes we just have to trust His plan for us.
With what’s going on in the world these days, it’s all too easy to forget about our religion and who can genuinely assist us during these hard times. All we have to do now is grab His hand, as the song says because no one stands alone.
