Summer 2024 is drawing to a close, and looking back, it stands out as one of the best I’ve experienced in years. Amidst the usual hustle of work and family life, schedules miraculously aligned, allowing for more frequent and meaningful connections with friends and extended family. The highlight, however, was a long-awaited trip in June with my aunt, Lisa – a journey that unexpectedly forged some powerful Elvis Song Memories.
The Journey to Memphis: A Road Trip and Deeper Connections
For years, my aunt Lisa, a devoted Elvis Presley superfan, had talked about visiting Graceland together. I’d never seen the Memphis landmark but was always intrigued. It represents a unique slice of Americana: a stunning home owned by a music icon, reflecting the trajectory of someone rising from poverty to unimaginable wealth (the fabric-covered Pool Room being a prime example of this). This year, we finally made it happen, even staying at The Guest House at Graceland, an impeccable Elvis-themed hotel right on Elvis Presley Blvd, known for its superb service.
Lisa has always lived out of state, making her visits back home to Michigan special during my childhood. She’s one of the funniest people in our humor-filled family, a quality that hasn’t faded. Now in my 30s, this trip marked our first real adventure together, just the two of us. I drove from Michigan to her place in Indiana for an overnight stay before we embarked on the roughly eight-hour drive to Tennessee the next morning. The car ride was filled with open conversation, venting about everything from daily life to deeper family trauma – which, believe it or not, wasn’t as somber as it sounds. Part of our bonding even involved a cathartic phone call to my equally hilarious uncle, Mark, to poke fun at my late grandfather’s longtime girlfriend (the woman he left my grandmother for). There was a strange liberation in sharing these moments and jokes; the idea of getting “At Least My Trauma Made Me Funny” shirts for the family doesn’t seem entirely out of place.
Memphis: History, Blues, and Confronting Trauma
Looking back, confronting trauma seemed to be an unexpected theme woven throughout our Memphis experience. It wasn’t depressing, but rather a sobering liberation. It surfaced while listening to incredible musicians at B.B. King’s Blues Club on Beale St., where the music confronts hardship head-on.
Author’s aunt playfully posing in front of the famous Million Dollar Quartet photo at Sun Studio
Literal photographic proof of how funny my aunt is. We did the Sun Studio tour, and there was a moment when we both realized she was right in front of the iconic “Million Dollar Quartet” photo. Seemingly communicating telepathically, she leaned in, and I took a photo of her as if she were in the photo. Million Dollar Quintet, anyone? (Photo by Erica Banas)
This undercurrent was most profound during our visit to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, the site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. This meticulously curated museum unflinchingly addresses America’s greatest historical trauma: the horrific treatment of Black people, from slavery through Jim Crow to the Civil Rights Movement. It’s an essential visit for every American; words can hardly capture its impact.
Graceland: More Than Just a Mansion
Even Graceland, unexpectedly, tapped into this vein of confronting difficult truths. Elvis remains a complex figure – an unbelievably talented singer with magnetic charisma and almost surreal good looks. Yet, he was also a white artist who achieved immense fame and fortune performing Black music. His tragic decline due to prescription drug addiction adds another layer to his cautionary tale. Elvis embodies American contradictions: joy and pain, promise and failure, hope and despair.
Elvis Presley’s ornate living room at Graceland featuring white couches and stained glass peacock windows
Walking through Graceland, these conflicting emotions are palpable. Even listening to the audio tour narrated by John Stamos, I felt something stirring within me. The culmination arrived in the Meditation Garden, the final resting place for Elvis and members of his family.
The Meditation Garden: Where Elvis Song Memories Resonate Deepest
As Stamos’ narration guided me toward the Meditation Garden, I observed the gravesites – Lisa Marie Presley is now buried there, alongside her son, Benjamin Keough. The narration concluded, leading into a poignant rendition of “If I Can Dream” playing through my headphones. Standing before Elvis’s grave as the second verse began – my favorite part of my favorite Elvis song – the weight of the moment became overwhelming:
“There must be peace and understanding sometime/Strong winds of promise that will blow away the doubt and fear/If I can dream of a warmer sun/Where hope keeps shining on everyone/Tell me why, oh why, oh why won’t that sun appear.”
Tears flowed for the first time in a long while. It wasn’t just the overwhelming atmosphere; it felt deeper. I cried for Elvis and his family’s tragedies. I cried for my late brother, whose struggles with addiction mirrored Elvis’s in some ways. I cried for my own family’s traumas. And I cried for America, grappling with its own historical and present wounds. This moment, underscored by powerful Elvis Song Memories, revealed how much I had been holding inside. It was an unexpected, profound release – a truly sobering liberation.
Lasting Impressions and Sobering Liberation
The trip to Graceland and Memphis gifted me with cherished memories, but more significantly, it facilitated an unexpected emotional release. Letting go of long-held burdens was an invaluable part of the experience, and I owe much of that to my Aunt Lisa (and, in a way, to Elvis himself). We discovered we travel exceptionally well together, hinting at future adventures – perhaps with slightly less emphasis on trauma next time. Though, making fun of my grandfather’s ex-girlfriend might just have to remain a tradition. It was simply too much fun.
Author Erica Banas signing the Graceland wall, commemorating her emotional visit
This Graceland visit became more than just seeing a tourist attraction; it was a deeply personal journey, profoundly shaped by the emotional weight carried by elvis song memories and the unique setting where they unfolded. It underscored the incredible power of music to connect us to our past, our feelings, and even a shared history, however complex it may be.
