He was born a man, he died a myth The man part left and the rest stayed with One part vision one part dream Partly mirror and partly screen That's why, why they say he never died The fat man's gone the thin one stayed Still flashy in that gold lame Lick his back and press him down Mail him to another town That's why, why they say he never died Things got hot in the styles he mixed Did you see him move in '56 Gun smoke over the Sullivan show Shot waist up from Tupelo The Colonel's army took the soul That went by the name of King Creole And he's gone gone gone He's left this life, he's left this stage He's left the building but not the age We asked too much we took his best Couldn't let him live, can't let him rest That's why, why they say he never died It's America's own strange disease How we merchandise our tragedies If I invoke his name in vain Then too I share in all the blame For why, why they say he's still alive