# Elvis - American Trilogy - Dixieland **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 31, 2015, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-american-trilogy-dixieland/736249 "2015-10-31T10:45:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-american-trilogy-dixieland/736249/1 "2015-10-31T10:45:03Z")
Heard it on the radio. On first blush some might think it belongs in another era because of it’s celebration of the old South in the opening section. Those who know the second and third sections might be inclinded to think it’s about … well, to some extent it’s about what you want it to be about but how about reconciliation and unity … or not. My question is about the performance. This was a showstoopper for Elvis in his Vegas jumpsuit period, he included a lot of brass and backing singers. I’m sure I’ve read or seen Elvis was no racist, the opposite in fact. I just looked at three videos on Youtube to see what happened with the backing singers on American Trilogy. It’s not completely clear as the camera - you might almost think intentionally - never captures the singers through all three stages of the song. Fwiw, on the vidoes I’ve seen white male backing singing perform the dixie part while black girls sit down. I’ve seen all of them singing section two. I heard Elvis say ‘take it away _fellas_’ in relation to Dixie. Elvis wouldn’t have asked his black backing singers to perform the first section, right? ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-american-trilogy-dixieland/736249/2 "2015-10-31T11:05:44Z")
and I’m sorry, I just don’t if this better belongs in GQ, Cafe Society or IMHO… ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-american-trilogy-dixieland/736249/3 "2015-10-31T21:22:49Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > and I’m sorry, I just don’t if this better belongs in GQ, Cafe Society or IMHO… Since it’s about music, let’s move it to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-american-trilogy-dixieland/736249/4 "2015-10-31T21:25:59Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Since it’s about music, let’s move it to IMHO. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator Wouldn’t that be Cafe Society? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-american-trilogy-dixieland/736249/5 "2015-10-31T21:31:41Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Wouldn’t that be Cafe Society? The thread should start in one forum, move through a second, and end in a third. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-american-trilogy-dixieland/736249/6 "2015-10-31T21:34:08Z")
**Moderator Action** We can make the thread have a brief stop in every forum. 🙂 Ok, Cafe Society it is. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-american-trilogy-dixieland/736249/7 "2015-10-31T21:46:26Z")
Hey, it’s like when you break off in a pool game and down three 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-american-trilogy-dixieland/736249/8 "2015-11-01T17:47:36Z")
I remember the song well, particularly from the Aloha from Hawaii show. IMO, it wasn’t racism, but vocal harmonies is the reason Elvis said, “Take it away, fellas.” It seems to fit the male choral vocal pattern. Think of the solo in Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Can you imagine a man singing that? It fits better when it’s a woman. Same thing here. Musically, male voices fit with Dixie.