THE BOOK

When Elvis sings “Everyday I write the Book”
on stage
alone
accompanied by guitar,
he will have changed it much
since its eighties’ heyday.

The TKO horns are MIA.
The stellar backing of his longtime Attractions are gone
(it’s a solo performance, after all)
but most notably,
the backing vox of Afrodiziak are nowhere to be heard.

When Elvis chants “Every day” in the chorus
there is no one on stage to respond to his call.
The audience fills the role.
They are not asked to.
The performer wrote the song without the colored girls’ lines in mind; they were an afterthought
but they are the part most strongly remembered
in this almost successful tune.

The singer knows this
maybe
and tolerates the audience’s needs
to fill in the blanks of their youth
with the comforts of his song.
That is why many have come to see the Costello Show anyway.

So when Elvis utters “Every day,”
the audience responds immediately
with “Everyday!”
until they together sing “Everyday I write the book.”
It is beautiful
how we AutoComplete
our imaginations
with memories of how it’s supposed to be.