WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT . . . SPELLING ON THE STONE: The King is dead, long live the king?

Of the innumerable "Elvis is Alive" hoaxes, the song Spelling on the Stone of 1989 has to count as having one of the best/funniest back-stories.

So let's get this right: Elvis wanted you to believe he was just pretending to be dead . . . but he really wanted you to know he was alive by singing this song?

That just like, sooooo, doesn't work. Right? 

Good song though: the lyrics refer to the incorrect inscription on his grave at Graceland (Elvis was "Aron" not Aaron") which was the secret clue that it wasn't him in there. But the unintentionally funny story is told in interviews here.

the interview

Of course it was all a crock but, as with the "Paul is dead" story, it had people arguing over who had sung it.

You can, if you care to, follow that discussion here.

Whoever sang it, the voice was pretty good as Elvis because the cassette I have -- with songs like Father of the Bride, Outside Looking In and Everything's Taking Me Back among them (think about them in the context of a dead Elvis who is really alive) -- has fooled more than a few friends.

Elsewhere is clearly pretty keen on stuff Elvis-related: Bubba Ho-Tep and The King etc.

But this one deserves a re-airing, if only so you listen to it and say aloud, "What the . . .? If he was just pretending to be dead why would he . . ?

"Aww, nah!"

For other articles in the series of strange or different characters in music, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT . . . go here.