Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis? Amazed but Confused

My bro and I CANNOT decipher this one. I love the mystery in it but we would love some light shed on this.

I did some research and found this explanation. I did not write it but agree with it for the most part:

I cut my teeth on the stone of a teenage romance.
(He was hurt emotionally in a young, teenage romance)

I was the salt of the earth, I was hard, and the last of the independents.
And in the breath from my chest I was blowing kerosene,
My lips and fingertips were stone, I wore my heart on my jeans.
(He tried to act cool and be something he was not. He cared more about his appearance rather than a possibility of a relationship with a girl he really cared about.)

I sang the blues like the dogs left too long in the street,
I still sing the blues with the dogs.
(He longed for young romance, blew his chance and he still longs for that love.)

And I got half a mind to let it all burn up in this fire,
I've had been burning through my veins since I first learned to cry.
(When it was too late he realized he messed up and didn’t give the relationship a chance. His realizations lead to regret that burns like a fire but he also might want to just move on and resort to his old ways of caring about his rock image.)

I'd watch this whole night come down and never miss her again.
I never felt right and never fit in,
Walking in my own skin.
(He reemphasizes how he would just ignore this girl’s feelings for the true him while he was too busy caring about his image.)

Now I got scars like the number of stars, my head's full of vipers.
I got the dust of the desert in my bones, coming through the amplifiers.
(He has a number of regrets that he wishes he could take back and they are constantly haunting him. The desert represents the dried up romance and he sings about this past heartbreak in his songs.)

Between the minor chord fall and the fourth and the fifth,
It's a broken Hallelujah and a pain in my fist.
(He refers to the song "Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley which is a song about heartbreak and broken relationships.)
I wash my hands like the man with the blood on his teeth,
Over and over without relief.
(I’m not sure what this is referring too but it probably means he is trying to get rid of the pain he feels from the broken relationship but it won’t go away.)

And I got nothing for you darling but a story to tell,
About the rain on the pavement and the sound as it fell.
I'd watch this whole night come down and never miss her again.
I never felt right and never fit in.
(He is referring to the chance he once had with the girl but he messed it up because he cared too much about his image as a rocker. He still has the memory of the chance of romance with her, however, he can’t get it back in the present.)

Walking in my old man shoes, with my scientist heart.
I got a fever and a beaker and a shot in the dark.
(I’m not sure but I think he is saying in the past he didn’t allow the relationship to happen because he was being logical that it wouldn’t work (scientist heart ) but now he wants that love back (fever and old man shoes) and there is a slight chance he might get that love back (shot in the dark). It is saying that love can conquer logic.)
I need a Cadillac ride, I need a soft summer night,
Say a prayer for my soul Se�orita.
(Cadillac ride and soft summer night refers to young, summer love. He wants to relive the chances he once had with the girl at love by saying a prayer. The prayer refers to the hope at the renewed love.)

Because I've been dying out here in the cold and the snow.
(He’s been waiting for her answer. The waiting period refers to winter which is used in a lot of songs as a time of heartache. Most times, summer is a time when young love is present.)
I got a picture of you, Mama, to remind me of home.
(He’s got a picture of the girl (mama) that reminds him of the old romance. A lot of Gaslight and Bruce Springsteen songs refer to daddy as the boyfriend and momma as the girlfriend.)
On the hood of a Dodge on a Saturday night,
Say a prayer for my soul, Se�orita.
(This is similar to the Cadillac ride and soft summer night line. He once again wants the chance at young love and he knows if he gets that chance that, the girls will be his again.)

Now for those who don't believe that the song is referring to a relationship persay, I thought this explanation was valid as well. Whoever wrote it put a lot of thought into a few lines:

Old man's shoes and scientist heart
he's jaded or disillusioned (over-experience/world-weariness, ie old man's shoes) to the point where his heart, which obviously symbolizes emotion and the counterpoint to logic, has become cold and logical. To me it seems like, particularly in a creative sense, the poet (and, by extension, the protagonist of almost any song) uses his heart and the scientist uses his brain. To say that he's got a "scientist heart" is to say that his heart has either been contorted to something that operates by the rules of cold logic, or that it simply isn't used; that he, like a "scientist," has abandoned the heart (emotion) for the brain (logic). Practically, it means the same thing (logic overtaking emotion), but those are two ways of breaking the line down.

I got a fever and a beaker
This line caries on themes from the one above. "Fever and a beaker" are analogous to "scientist heart" in that there's a conflict (and ambiguous incompatibility) between emotion (heart/fever) and logic (scientist/beaker). The "fever"/emotion connection is well established, and if this line isn't an intended reference to Bruce Springsteen's song "The Fever," then at least that song shows the tradition Fallon is working off of. The beaker is obviously a tool and symbol of the scientist. I may be digging too deep here, but at the risk of inventing meaning, here's another potential dynamic: fever, in the literal sense, is an illness, and the parallels between the pains of emotion and those of physical sickness have made "fever" as enduring a metaphor as it is. A beaker, however, is also a tool of the medical profession, the purpose of which is to cure illness. Intended or not, this feeds into the idea of Logic being brought in to cure the ills of the Heart. It's a profound conflict, presented on many levels.

a shot in the dark, etc
That was the easy part. Beyond the amazing little structure above are what I consider to be the cause (Old man shoes) and the outcome (a shot in the dark). It appears that emotion or impulse wins out in the end, or at least that the protagonist wants it to. A shot in the dark is the opposite of a logical decision, but it's also more impulse/desperation than emotion. The line which follows (I *need* a Caddilac ride, I *need* a soft summer night) expresses his desire to break free from cynicism and the domination of logic.

I honestly did not think I would end up writing this much on three lines. Just goes to show how subtle Fallon's lyrical expertise is.

Little Eden--Nice explanations. I read the first part of the explanation that you posted on Song meanings a while back, and it made much sense to me. Sounds plausible, for sure. Another reason why that song should crack the Top 5 when results are posted!

yea this one and miles davis!

always thought it was about not fitting in walking in your own skin.

also hallelujah was written by leonard cohen. canuck represent.

This was how I figured it (from Song Meanings)

---

It's an internal battle between his logical, analytical side and his passionate side.

I suppose the title could hint at regret. As in, if he wasn't so
obsessed with being like Elvis (either in the rock star sense or the way
that Elvis appeared to be too cool to let a woman interfere with his
plans) then maybe things could have worked out.

---

I think the first explanation is pretty spot on, "Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis?" as in the title is saying "Why do you try to be like Elvis?" or something similar. He has this image of himself that isn't true.

I dunno i think the second one fits a little better though the first one has its valid points, plus i think maybe its more of a why can't i be more like elvis?

I don't think Brian is the kinda dude who would just give the title "Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis?" just because it sounds cool (which it does very much so) I feel like the song as a lot more to do with Elvis Presley then it would seem. There are a lot of lines and a select view that could be exactly about him.
Honestly, I think Brian is writing from Elvis' view on things. "Teenage romance," "Cadillacs", "Picture of you, Mama"
He later wishes he "always kind looked like Elvis" in HIgh Lonesome.
I really do dig the depth and views on this song, shared here, thats why I started this, to hear some others, I guess none of us could really be sure unless we ask him if those lucky few of us here get to talk to him or can dig up some old interview with him about it...

Brian talked about the meaning to this song at the Columbus show, but he was kinda mumbling into the mic and for the life of me I could not understand exactly what he said. I know he did mention that the song does literally refer to Elvis Presley, not metephorically. Though I think you could easily read it both ways.

Anyone else at the Columbus show catch what he said?

ALRIGHT! lol