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He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad

Rating:
2.5 / 5

Words & Music: Ben Weisman Sid Wayne

He's your uncle not your dad, he's the best friend you ever had
So come on dig, dig, dig in until it hurts
Just remember Pearl Harbor

(The Alamos and nothing could be worse)

He's your favorite relative and he needs a lot to live
So just bring, bring, bring everything until you bleed

(And he'll send back what he don't need)

If your not in form ten-forty's your salvation
By deprivation of temptation

(Dark and blondes I hear are not deductible)

Oh say can you see if there's anything left for me
When he calls you as he may do
Don't be frightened red white and blue
Just be thankful you don't live in Leningrad
He's your uncle, not your dad

If your honest you don't have to shake and shiver
The food is lousy up the river

(It's give and take and he does all the taking)

Oh say can you see if there's anything left for me
Life has two things you can't subtract

(Death and taxes to be exact)

So just pa-pa-patriotically declare
He's your uncle, he's your uncle, not your dad

Recordingdate: 1967/06/21, first released on: Speedway (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(steel guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(sax)
(trumpet)

Availability

Find available albums with He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad.

Steve V wrote on February 03, 2009
Well what you can say about this one? Arguably the worst song Elvis ever recorded? Certainly in 1968, with the sweeping changes in music & culture the last several years this was insane. Fans that love the soundtracks want to know why they are always put down. Well, look no further than this. A terrible song in a terribly embarrassing scene in a film whose formula had worn thin several years before. Think back 10 years prior to King Creole and you get the idea of why the 50's are cherished. Yes, this embodies many critics vision of the Hollywood years a scene all too often repeated by this time.
theoldscudder wrote on May 03, 2009
Perhaps the biggest stinker in the movie catalogue. And thremovie scene makes me cringe. Just awful, an embarrasement.
JLpResLey wrote on January 17, 2010
One of the weirdest songs I´ve ever heard. Not the worst song Elvis recorded though, far from it. Both the movie and this specific scene was certainly an embarrasment at first. However, I am able to enjoy both song and footage today. We all wanted Elvis to be a dramatic actor, but he was not. He was a terrific comedy actor in my mind, which he shows in this picture among many. Time changes, imagine Elvis as the fifties rebel in 30 films. Who would want to see that? Unfortunately, the formula was done too much as well. But things was to change once again and the following years was to be the greatest years of Elvis´ career
Deano1 wrote on February 21, 2010
A fun song from an enjoyable movie ("Speedway") that has even been give good marks by modern day NASCAR. There is nothing embarassing by this scene or the song, it has funny lyrics and Bill Bixby, Gale Gordon and Elvis Presley make it into a very good and funny scene. The movie was Elvis' last real movie success, ending the year 1968 at #40 on the top movie list. If this song/scene is embaraasing to Elvis, then why wouldn't the movie "Help" me an embarrasment to the Beatles? Why did millions of fans tune into watch the Monkees make fools of themselves on TV every week and yet still make them the 2nd biggest selling LP artists of the 60's (that's right, more than the the "precious" Stones, more than Dylan). The only problem with the 60's for Elvis is there should have been a studio LP released every year and no more than two soundtracks released. After the horrible mis-management of his great studio work in 1963, Elvis just kind of lost interest. That and the fact that "Blue Hawaii" out sold "Pot Luck" by a 10 to 1 margin.
dgirl wrote on August 15, 2011
More suited for Broadway than an Elvis film. Elvis looked so uncomfortable and put of place in this scene in my opinion. I'm sure he couldnt wait to bolt the set and get on with singing 'real' music again and not soundtrack filler. Comparing this to HELP is like comparing the Mona Lisa to a mall painting. At least The Beatles knew to quit after 2 films.
ElvisSacramento wrote on October 28, 2012
This is easily one of the very worst songs that I've ever heard. I can't possibly have anything courteous to say about this dreadful and embarrassing song.
Gorse wrote on December 11, 2012
I tend to give this song a degree of latitude in that I take it for what it was designed, although it has never been on any of my playlists. It is an interlude in a film which as stated has more Broadway about it than Elvis as we know him,and to me is like an inferior Didja Ever. Unlike the latter it does not transfer well to vinyl although many of this type of song were seen iin 50's musicals.
sugartummy wrote on March 11, 2013
About 8 years ago I saw Elvis' American Studio band with Chips Moman in Dordrecht, Holland. Their singer also did a solo performance. He anounced a song with "this is my favourite Elvis song" and then started singing He's your uncle not your dad, laughed and started the Elvis song he was intended to do. Did Captain Beefheart ever recorded a weird song like this? RCA/BMG could do a weird Elvis album with this one on it.
Rob Wanders wrote on April 10, 2014
this is, in my opinion, together with Confidence and Old MacDonald by far the worst song our man ever recorded. horrible!
Lou A wrote on April 10, 2014
I like the scene from the movie and the song is funny. I saw this film in a theater in 1968, and the audience reacted positively to this scene . Not a good song for an LP, but a decent comedic song to help move the plot along , and as mentioned Gale Gordon and Bill Bixby were funny in the scene .If elvis was recording two good studio albums per year back then , no one would have cared what songs were in the films . Problem was we got nothing but soundtracks for 3 -4 years .
rai wrote on January 20, 2015
A song that's difficult to digest. Not one of my favorites. It reflects well for the movie though as seeing Elvis in good shape helps amid the lame song.
DerekH wrote on January 20, 2015
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. This is why stop buying Elvis album in 1967. This song isn't even worth 1 star. Thankfully Big Boss Man, etc was just around the corner. The '68 recordings and Tv special got me back. But I never listen to Speedway, Clambake, Or any of the movie / songs on albums of 65-68
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