Elvis Presley has had many exceptional live performances captured on film. His live performance of ‘Polk Salad Annie’ is one of his wildest ever. Elvis is committed to the song and puts his heart and soul into this rendition.
Elvis starts to bounce his leg as the band behind him plays the intro to the song.
Elvis is wearing a white outfit with tassels and silver chains connecting across his open bare chest.
He says to the crowd while sweat drips down his messy hair, “Some of y’all never been down south too much. I’m gonna tell you a little story just so you understand what I’m talking about. Down there, we have a plant that grows in the woods and the fields. And it looks something like a turnip green. Everybody called it Polk Salad.”
Elvis punches his fist as he says, “Polk Salad,” and the band hits are timed with his punches. He continues the story by talking about a girl he knew there, and when he starts to sing, the girls in the crowd squeal.
Elvis sways his hips and raises his hands while the audience claps to the song’s rhythm. He finishes the first verse and says, “A mean, vicious, straight razor-toting woman. Lord have mercy.” Surprisingly, he sticks the mic into his mouth and makes a loud noise, and he pulls it back out, grabs his throat, and laughs with the crowd.
He moves his body with great intensity on the instrumental break, gyrating, shaking, and bouncing. The audience looks on in amazement. Then, he pulls a paper out of his belt. He reads it, hands it to his guitar player, and whistles.
Elvis continues singing while punching his fists, waving his hands in the air, and dancing violently while the crowd cheers. He ends with the band holding out a note, building to a crescendo. Elvis lands on one knee and smiles at the audience as they cheer, and when he waves his arms, the band stops. It is a truly electrifying performance from ‘The King.’