Al Stewart - Elvis At The Wheel Lyrics






There's an independent bookstore
The last one that remains
All those others you might look for
Have been eaten by the chains
They soldier on
No one cleans the window panes

It was there I read the story
So strange it must be real
Of a car in Arizona
With Elvis at the wheel
He's looking up
The sky has something to reveal

It is the face of Josef Stalin
That is formed by drifting clouds
Above the sleeping Memphis mafia
And unsuspecting cows

This is a sign from God! It's plain
This is a sign that nothing he does for the rest of his life
Will be the same

It's a medieval moment
A religious episode
He is shaking in his footsteps
On the dusty desert road
His entourage are nervous
And subdued

How must it be to feel such passion?
To be caught up in the thrall
In some unfathomable fashion
Like a pink and black St. Paul?

[Repeat chorus]





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Al Stewart Elvis At The Wheel Comments
  1. T.... B....

    Ariel graces the video 👍😇👏🌹

  2. M.... t....

    Have to say Ive never struck an Al Stewart song I didn't like..So many make an old bloke want to get up and dance around...The mrs thinks Im going senile

  3. J.... M....

    This is like the coolest song I've heard in a long time.

    J.... M....

    Thank you, thank you vera much!

  4. R.... B....

    A lovely surprise

  5. C.... J....

    Like many Al fans, I discovered him via "Year of the Cat", but it was only when I listened to his back catalog that I truly discovered him and his amazing talent. I have loved his music ever since.
    "Elvis at the Wheel" is another little gem of a song... from an artist who has a bag of them.

  6. G.... I....

    Voice,,,,is the same since forever

  7. G.... ....

    Absolutely love it..Al Steward...what amazing music.

  8. 1.... ....

    This was definitely filmed in Arizona... but where exactly?

    1.... ....

    The majority of the scenes were filmed at various locations throughout Cochise County. A few shots of the interior of the bookstore were shot in Phoenix. The street scene with Al was filmed in Brentwood, CA and the studio scenes were filmed at a home studio outside of Los Angeles.

  9. S.... D....

    eh this ones a bit of a stretch

    S.... D....

    Story behind the song:

    March 5: A milestone in Elvis' personal life.

    While driving to Los Angeles to begin work on his latest film, the singer tells Larry Geller that he feels their recent religious studies haven't produced a bonafide religious "experience." Not long after, Elvis pulls over and runs into the middle of the desert when he sees a cloud formation that looks like Russian dictator Josef Stalin. As he watches, it turns into a face Elvis interprets as that of Jesus Christ.

    As Geller recalls it in Peter Guralnick's acclaimed book Careless Love:"It's God!" Elvis cried. "It's God!" Tears streamed down his face as he hugged me tightly and said, "...I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You got me here. I'll never forget, never, man. It really happened.

    I saw the face of Stalin and I thought to myself, Why Stalin? Is it a projection of something that's inside of me? Is God trying to show me what he thinks of me? And then it happened! The face of Stalin turned right into the face of Jesus, and he smiled at me, and every fiber of my being felt it... Oh, God. Oh, God," Elvis kept saying. Then he paused and added a peculiar aside. "Can you imagine what the fans would think if they saw me like this?"

    "They'd only love you all the more," Geller said.
    "Yeah," he said, "Well, I hope that's true."
    Visibly shaken, he resumes the trip, although most of the Memphis Mafia are skeptical about the validity of this "sign."

  10. J.... E....

    I remember many years ago Al Stewart explaining why the record company he was with did not renew his contract. Basically, they wanted "Year of the Cat" remakes. Boy, they really swung and missed on Al Stewart, as evidenced here.

  11. 5.... ....

    AMAZED-i had never seen this video before. still nice to see he is getting the good schroooms

    btw- has anyone seen a LIVE version of 'nostradamus.?
    thanks in advance.

    5.... ....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iarMdk24eww

    5.... ....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pECDCC6V5hI

    5.... ....

    THANK YOU MAGGIE.

    5.... ....

    You are very welcome!

  12. M.... G....

    Still one of the great musical poets.

    M.... G....

    He is indeed, thank you for your kind comment.

  13. T.... B....

    Only Al Stewart could work Elvis and Stalin into a song about a mystical meeting between them in the Arizona desert and make it work. I am amazed, as always, by the images Al comes up with.

    T.... B....

    +T.K. Bertram click on the show more tab, Al is singing about a true event in Elvis' life.

    T.... B....

    +maggiejoe932 The point is that only Al could turn such a story into a song that works this well.


    As for the truth of the story? Who knows what really happened on that Arizona road?

    T.... B....

    and unsuspecting cows :-))

  14. E.... N....

    This is one of my favorite songs on this album, thank you, thank you!

  15. G.... N....

    This is great and it is the first time that I have seen it. Keep up the good work Al!! Anxious to see more.

    G.... N....

    Year of the cat

  16. T.... A....

    Wonderful Al!

    T.... A....

    @The Adult Contemporary Music Channel Thank You, for the compliment. Hopefully we will be doing more of Al's wonderful music in the near future.

    T.... A....

    @maggiejoe932 you're welcome, has he new material that you know of? please keep us updated. do you like Ac music like Al?

    T.... A....

    @The Adult Contemporary Music Channel Yes I do like the Ac music like Al, as far as new music goes, I haven't heard but we may do a video or two of some of his most enduring songs from the past.

    T.... A....

    @maggiejoe932 If you want Ac music from today, stop by our ch, sub and share, thx 4 your support.

  17. R.... O....

    Thanks. Tell Al we'll pop backstage and say hi and catch up before the show. Looking forward to it. Richard

  18. R.... O....

    Great video. Al and I were at Wycliffe together many years ago ! Can you let him know I've just bought a couple of tickets to see him at The Colston Hall in Bristol on 7th may. Looking forward to the concert. Richard Orchard ( Dick ! )

    R.... O....

    Thanks for the kudos, I'll tell Al you're coming to the show.

    R.... O....

    @maggiejoe932 Hey Richard, I spoke with Al today and he said to come back stage before the show in Bristol. Hope you guys connect,  Bruce

  19. R.... T....

    Another gem from the same box. Like all true precious stones there are no two that are alike.

  20. b.... ....

    LOVE IT

  21. D.... G....

    ...still the greatest after all these years!!! Never can get enough... All the best! Dale

    D.... G....

    @Dale Goodwin I could not agree more Dale!

  22. h.... ....

    The night that I found Al was a liberal....crushed.

    h.... ....

    Yeah but nobody's perfect and he's still a gem!

    h.... ....

    Yes, he certainly is, love everything he does :)

  23. D.... R....

    Thanks, Dana, for your reply.  This is such an inspired video with its effects, with the scenery, the use of the classic car, the musicians up-close and personal, the irony & humor, and the sheer technical excellence.  It showcases  a lot, and that's fine.  The restraint of balance keeps it from being over-the-top and disjoint.  Bravo Zulu!

  24. d.... r....

    Kewl Daddy O

  25. d.... r....

    Loved this lots of Energy could use a little more Elvis But it was Great my friend remember me at the airport :)

    d.... r....

    Well thank you, thank you very much Donald!  Of course we remember you...thanks for the view.

  26. D.... R....

    Al, methinks you have flipped your wig and spent way too many quid.  But your video is rather well done and besides, life's about having fun?  Bravissimo LJ, and yes, it's a rhetorical question.

    D.... R....

    This video was funded solely and completely by Distant Traveler Productions, it didn't cost Al a dime.  Thank you for the kudos regarding the quality of the video.

  27. S.... ....

    Nice to see Laurence Juber playing electric :)

  28. S.... N....

    Fun lyrics as expected from Al ;-)

  29. c.... ....

    What no red toupee ?

  30. A.... H....

    Nice vid; maybe we could have more info in the 'about' section?  ;-)

    A.... H....

    Your wish is my command!
      Is this the info you were hoping for?

    A.... H....

    Thanks for that!  ;-)

  31. R.... F....

    Sweet video, nice to hear a new Al Stewart song, he's still got the songwriting chops & musicality!!! Beautiful work, Bruce!

  32. o.... ....

    Man, WOW,  Al Stewart Still SOUNDS FANTASTIC. He should be in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. HE IS RIGHT, if not, Make Sure he is! I've Always Loved His Music.

    o.... ....

    Unfortunately, no, Al Stewart is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...

    o.... ....

    @maggiejoe932 Hard to Believe, Al Stewart is not in Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, He deserves to be.

  33. P.... ....

    Loved it...AL if you are going to do music videos to ancient songs...how about a music video for  The Ballad of Mary Foster... (I can dream)...

    P.... ....

    Ancient?  Sparks of Ancient Light is Al's newest studio album released in 2008, LOL!

  34. A.... M....

    Al is a brilliant songwriter, and still crazy after all these years. There are more songs about Elvis, but not as smart and witty as this one.

  35. A.... C....

    nice vid...

    A.... C....

    Well, thank you, thank you very much.   ;)

  36. l.... o....

    Fabulous Al! Leo (Tir na nOg)

    l.... o....

    Thank you...thank you very much!  for the share!

  37. R.... S....

    can anybody put the whole cd beach of shells  on u tube

  38. R.... S....

    got to see lj in Chicago with al that man can play guitar

  39. O.... ....

    Wow, what a treat!  And I noticed a book on the shelf near the end which I have at home... what are the odds??  And the song of course is great, I always love how it builds in the refrain.

  40. r.... ....

    LOVE this song, as well the entire Sparks album. Thank you Al, and everyone who helped in the production of this wonderful video.

  41. M.... D....

    classic Al - love the shot of the hammers....

  42. H.... M....

    Wow, beautifully done video, superb song writing, arranging and mix... Al's magic as always! I am passing this one o to others in the new year. This is so well shot & edited...

  43. e.... ....

    Wow! Quirky and funny, thought-provoking and witty, a great video for Al Stewart's songs. I love the song, and the video is just great. Please tell me that there may be more on the way!

    e.... ....

    We hope there will be more too!

  44. J.... R....

    Love it!! Great guitar work. Very beautiful girl. Go Ariel !

    J.... R....

    Ariel is a goddess!  We are so lucky to have her in our world. I love this sweet lady and her incredible talents.

  45. Z.... ....

    Such a great song!  Also some really tasty guitar work.  Thanks so much for posting it.

    Z.... ....

    Thank you sharing it!

  46. g.... ....

    WOW!! Great job Al et. al.  I love the way the video team conceptualized this.  Any more in the wings *William McKinley??)?

    g.... ....

    Good question. Silver Kettle and Travelin' Javelin Salesman might also be a hoot to see in video!

    g.... ....

    The only other CVs I've seen from Al were "Mondo Sinistro" and "King Of Portugal".  That doesn't necessarily mean there aren't others.  But remember that the golden age of music videos was the 1980s, and that was also the time that Al shifted to his once every three (or four, or five) year album schedule.

    g.... ....

    Yeah, the 80's were a bit of a lull for him, unfortunately.

  47. H.... ....

    Nice!  I've been an Al Stewart fan for over thirty years, and I've seen him in concert three times, but this was a very fun video to watch.  It's too bad he didn't have more high profile records in the 1980s, because I always thought his stories could have lent themselves to amazing videos on MTV...  back when they used to play music videos, I mean.

    ...not that he'd ever film anything particularly cringe-worthy.
    ( "Mondo Sinistro" )

    H.... ....

    @DallasHammster Hey, I love Mondo Sinistro, so 80s! HA! We would love to do more videos, mostly because you are right, Al's music is very story video worthy. Stay tuned, you never know and "WE" never say never.

  48. M.... M....

    Killer solos!

    M.... M....

    @Marc Macisso Bruce and I very much enjoyed your performance and meeting you last night in Napa. What a great show! It has been our topic of conversation for most of today. Thank you again for the Christmas CD!

  49. k.... P....

    love it, thank you.

    k.... P....

    Well thank you, thank you very much...  :)

  50. g.... ....

    Awesome!

  51. C.... M....

    "Like a pink and black Saint Paul" is a brilliant line. Such a good song! Thank you for this!

  52. G.... S....

    Oh brilliant. Many thanks

  53. L.... L....

    Al Stewart is my favorite singer song-writer and Laurence Juber as always, kills it with his guitar!

  54. j.... ....

    Great song as always from Al. Laurence is just amazing how I wish I could play a hundredth as well as him. A pleasure to watch.

  55. m.... ....

    Thank you all, for the kind comments!

    m.... ....

    Thank you!

  56. M.... Z....

    Al, Laurence, cameos from Janis, Jim, Jimi, and Keith Moon - right as Al sings "moon"!  What more could I want?

  57. G.... ....

    Love the name of the bookstore. :)

  58. M.... V....

    Thank you for this video!!! Finally a videoclip of Al... and with Laurence!!!! (Y) (Y)

    M.... V....

    Great find, Micca! Will share! Xo-Xo (Y)

    M.... V....

    Yep!!! You have! This song was recorded 5 years ago, and it's so RARE to have a video from Al Stewart (that I love!!!), besides Laurence Juber is such an amazing guitar player!!! Xo Xo (Y)