# When, where and by whom the phrase "Elvis Has Left The Building" was coined? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2002, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165 "2002-03-20T05:26:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Mom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Dragon\_Mom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Mom)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/1 "2002-03-20T05:26:33Z")
Any clue about how it all started? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/2 "2002-03-20T05:46:45Z")
This topic has been covered several times before… anyway, it all comes down to one fact: in concert, Elvis never did encores. He had a predetermined set of songs, and as soon as the last song was over, he hopped in the limo and went back to his hotel immediately. Now, if you’ve been to rock concerts, you know that fans ALWAYS expect an encore, and will wait around forever, stomping, clapping, and waving their Bic lighters, hoping the band will come back on stage and do a few more songs. Since Elvis’ entourage knew there was never going to be an encore, someone always had to grab a mike after the last song, and let the fans know that there was no point in waiting around for an encore. “Elvis has left the building” was shorthand for “He’s gone. The show’s over. There ain’t no more. Now, go home already!” ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Mom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Dragon\_Mom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Mom)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/3 "2002-03-20T11:56:03Z")
Thanks for trying, astorian, but have you noticed that it doesn´t answer the original question? I know wny they used to say “Elvis has left blah blah blah” and all that thing about the no-encores rule. What I wanted to know is when it started. I know it´s pretty hard to pinpoint, but I believe that somewhere in the world, some anal-retentive fan must have a record on that. ---
**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/4 "2002-03-20T14:57:37Z")
I Googled it, and found [this](http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22elvis+has+left+the+building%22+ORIGIN+PHRASE&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&selm=a0tc96%24tvs%241%40nwall2.odn.ne.jp&rnum=1). masakim says it was Horace Logan at the Louisiana Hayride on 15/12/56, linking to [Elivis.com](http://www.elvisnews.com/reviews/review_goodrockintonight.html) as a reference. ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Mom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Dragon\_Mom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Mom)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/5 "2002-03-20T16:41:11Z")
1,000% Perrr-fect! The mystery was solved to a T! Thanks, dude! ---
**Author:** ![Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/db5fbb/32.png) [@Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fred)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/6 "2002-03-21T01:24:06Z")
Dude, I wouldn’t trust I site that can’t even spell his name right. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Mom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Dragon\_Mom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Mom)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/7 "2002-03-21T02:56:28Z")
Well, my ghastly friend… at first I thought that “Elivis” was a wordplay with “Elvis Lives”; but my second guest is that they couldn´t use “[elvis.com](http://elvis.com)”. The OFFICIAL name of the site is [elvisnews.com](http://elvisnews.com). ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/8 "2002-03-21T04:18:51Z")
I am always wild when I see this mis-attribution. It’s actually a (mis)quote from Shakespeare, in A Midsummers Nights Dream Act V scene vii. Titania: Then I, right jocund, apt and willing, Shall to mortals’ slumbers send my patient maids. Pease, Apple Blossom, Wainscot, Moth and Sharp, Faeries all, return you swiftly home. **The elves have left the building** , and the one-half world To curtain’d sleep and dreaming shall return, etc Please correct your sources. Redboss ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/9 "2002-03-21T05:04:02Z")
Back in 1956, when this happened the crowd was just excited about Elvis and not expecting what today is the normal return for an encore. Back then it was rare for a performer to come back on stage. Fact is it was rare for a performer to get a standing ovation. If an artist gave an usual performance the crowd would stand up and he/she would come out and bow. In very rare cases the performer would perform again. The way it is today, if the crowd doesn’t stand up it is an insult and if the performer doesn’t perform again the place will be torn down. I liked it, the old way, because it was sincere. Today there is no way to know that it is sincere, because it is expected. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/10 "2002-03-21T05:06:42Z")
Sorry! If the artist gave an _unusual_ performance they would get a standing ovation. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/11 "2002-03-21T06:03:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kniz \* > \*\* The way it is today, if the crowd doesn’t stand up it is an insult and if the performer doesn’t perform again the place will be torn down. I liked it, the old way, because it was sincere. Today there is no way to know that it is sincere, because it is expected. \*\* Once when I saw Guster their lead singer said, “Okay, this is going to be our last song, then we’ll go off, and you guys will clap and stuff, and then we’ll come back and play a couple more. You know how it goes.” ---
**Author:** ![Elvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@Elvis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elvis)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/12 "2002-03-21T15:42:28Z")
Elvis has left the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/13 "2002-03-21T16:10:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kniz \* > …The way it is today, if the crowd doesn’t stand up it is an insult and if the performer doesn’t perform again the place will be torn down. I liked it, the old way, because it was sincere. Today there is no way to know that it is sincere, because it is expected. One concert I attended had only a lukewarm crowd response. After coming out for the encore the lead singer said “We were coming back out anyway.” ---
**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-where-and-by-whom-the-phrase-elvis-has-left-the-building-was-coined/99165/14 "2002-03-21T16:20:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by thegrimspectreofreddeath \* > \*\*Dude, I wouldn’t trust I site that can’t even spell his name right. > > 🙂 \*\* Actually, that’s my fault. The site that I linked to is actually called “[www.elvisnews.com](http://www.elvisnews.com)” and not my “[www.elivis.com](http://www.elivis.com)”. Still, I like Dragon attributing it to a clever, intentional wordplay 🙂 .