I Learned What Sexy is from Elvis

(Disclaimer: I grew up not liking Elvis at all. When I was 13, the only Elvis I knew was Jumpsuit Vegas Caricature-of-himself Elvis.)

So I’m sitting at the table writing and my thirteen year old daughter is sitting in the chair next to me listening to Ingrid Michaelson on her Kindle. Ingrid’s singing “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,” which my daughter thinks is a fabulous new song.

“That’s an Elvis song,” I say.

“What?”

“Elvis sang that a hundred years ago.” I bring up YouTube on my computer and show her Elvis singing that song. She swoons at the sight of 1968 Elvis.

“He should’ve been born much later,” she says. “He’s smokin’ hot.”

I look up the “unplugged Elvis” video, where he’s sitting around with some of the guys from his band, talking to the small audience and singing some of his early songs and playing guitar. My daughter scoots her chair over next to me and we watch the whole thirty-three minutes. She loads the Elvis version of “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” on her Kindle because she likes it better than Ingrid’s cover.

I’m watching 1968 Elvis and I know exactly what is so ‘smokin’ hot’ about him. He clearly enjoys what he’s doing. His wry smile breaks into uninhibited laughter because of the sheer pleasure he takes in singing with these friends of his as if they’re all sitting on his front porch. Once in a while the music moves him and he can’t stay sitting down even though standing up might cause his un-strapped guitar to fall off his lap. The music stops for a second. He savors it - and then the song continues. It’s infectious, his joy.  His eyes sparkle with that joy. Oh, my lord - those eyes. My heart palpitates.

Oh, and by the way - that guitar. I had no idea Elvis could play guitar like that. Jumpsuit Elvis used a guitar as little more than a prop. 1968 Elvis could play that guitar. If I’d been a teenager in 1968 I would’ve been screaming and fainting at his concerts. I have no doubt. Elvis was a good looking man, and beyond that he had a charisma that doesn’t even come around once in a generation - but the quality that’s so incredibly sexy about him is his obvious and uninhibited joy in making music.

Sexy is uninhibited joy. Sexy is smart. Sexy is not only being good at what you do, but clearly loving what you do.

It doesn't have to be Elvis. That kind of sexy gets me every time.

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