Bruce Springsteen’s heartbreaking tribute to Elvis Presley during a performance of Follow That Dream

A heartbreaking tribute to music legend Elvis Presley was carried out during a performance of Follow That Dream by Bruce Springsteen.

A story of nearly meeting The King at Graceland preceded the touching performance of Follow That Dream, a song featured on the Presley soundtrack EP of the same name. Though it was not as huge a hit for Presley as the likes of Hound Dog and Blue Suede Shoes, it quickly became a favourite of Springsteen’s. The veteran performer shared that it was one of his favourite Presley songs, and he would consistently perform it on The River tour in 1981. A slower tempo and altered lyrics would make Springsteen’s version stand out that little bit more, and it eventually received an official release on Tracks II: The Lost Albums. Before that, listeners had to rely on bootleg prints of the song, an upload of which can be found on YouTube.

A clip of Springsteen’s performance on July 7, 1985, was posted to the video sharing platform. His performance of Follow That Dream and the preamble before it has been praised by members of the public, who say it’s a fitting tribute from The Boss to The King.

Springsteen said: “I remember later, when a friend of mine called to tell me that he’d died, it was so hard to understand how somebody whose music came in and took away so many people’s loneliness and gave so many people a reason and a sense of the possibilities of living could have, in the end, died so tragically. And I guess when you’re alone, you ain’t nothin’ but alone.”

Listeners believe Presley would have loved Springsteen’s musical talent, though the A Little Less Conversation hitmaker would die just two years after the release of Born to Run. One fan wrote: “Wow, what a song, Bruce. I know Elvis would have loved your music and talent.

“And even jumping the wall. The song is beautiful EPC. And I needed it several times in my lifetime.” Another added: “Very beautiful song.” A third shared: “What a tale to tell. Wow. Awesome.”

The story in question, shared by Springsteen during his July 7, 1985 show, detailed his decision to jump the wall of Graceland to see if he could meet with his idol. A meeting between the two never came to be, though Springsteen is glad he at least tried to see The King.

Springsteen recalled the close encounter, sharing: “I was filled with the enthusiasm of youth and ran up the driveway, and I got to the front door, and I was just about to knock, and guards came out of the woods and they asked me what I wanted.

“And I said, ‘Is Elvis home?’ Then they said, ‘No, no, Elvis isn’t home, he’s in Lake Tahoe’. So, I started to tell ’em that I was a guitar player and that I had my own band, and that we played in town that night, and that I made some records.

“And I even told ’em I had my picture on the cover of Time and Newsweek. I had to pull out all the stops to try to make an impression, you know. I don’t think he believed me, though, ’cause he just kinda stood there noddin’ and then he took me by the arm and put me back out on the street with Steve.” You can listen to this story, and a performance of Follow That Dream, below.