The guitarist for Living Colour has said about this song: ““Elvis Is Dead” doesn’t castigate Elvis. Public Enemy was like, “Elvis was racist and simple and plain” [a paraphrase of the band’s 1989 single “Fight the Power”]. But it was maybe not as simple as that. The point of “Elvis is dead” is: You didn’t see him at the shopping mall.”
The guitarist for Living Colour has said about this song: ““Elvis Is Dead” doesn’t castigate Elvis. Public Enemy was like, “Elvis was racist and simple and plain” [a paraphrase of the band’s 1989 single “Fight the Power”]. But it was maybe not as simple as that. The point of “Elvis is dead” is: You didn’t see him at the shopping mall.”