Saturday 9: Heartbreak Hotel

Saturday 9: Heartbreak Hotel (1956)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Elvis checked in to the hotel at the end of Lonely Street. Where was the last hotel or motel you stayed at?

A. We stayed at a Hampton Inn in Virginia Beach.

2) He sings that Heartbreak Hotel is always crowded. The fear of crowds is so prevalent that it has four names (enochlophobia, ochlophobia, demophobia and agoraphobia). Are you comfortable in a crowd?

A. Not really. It depends on the crowd and what my reasons for being there are. It was one reason why I liked newspaper reporting. I stayed on the sidelines but was still involved.

3) The desk clerk at Heartbreak Hotel is dressed black. Do you often wear all black?

A. Yes. It is supposed to be slimming but I daresay it doesn't hide much.

4) The song was written by Mae Boren Axton, who said it was inspired by the story of an anonymous young man's suicide in a hotel. She said she read in The Miami Herald that the John Doe left behind a note that said, "I walk a lonely street." What's the last note you handwrote? (Hopefully it was more upbeat.)

A. Just same names and phone numbers, nothing overly important.

5) When Elvis was 11, his parents bought him a guitar. He had asked for a rifle, but his mama convinced him a guitar was a better idea. Tell us about a time one of your parents was right about something.

A.  My mamma said you can't hurry love, you just have to wait. She also knew the day I met my future husband and that he would be the one I married.

6) Not long before "Heartbreak Hotel" was recorded, Elvis' father recommended he give up the guitar and become a truck driver. Tell us about a time one of your parents was wrong about something.

A. My mother said I could never make a living as a writer. I did for about 25 years. Not a great living, but I did okay.

7) There are many stories about Elvis' manager, Col. Tom Parker. One anecdote, about his career before Elvis, has the Colonel painting sparrows yellow so he could sell them as canaries. Have you ever been ripped off?

A. Yes. Most recently I bought an iPhone carrier thingy off Amazon. It was something you could supposedly use to strap on your phone if you didn't wear a belt (which I don't). It cost $11 or something. I opened it and it smelled horrible, very strongly of plastic, and I can't handle strong smells. It also didn't really do what it promised to do. When I went to return it, instead of my usual easy return with Amazon, I realized this had come from a secondary seller, and they wanted me to pay a restocking fee plus the return postage, and by the time I did all of that I ended up just keeping it because my refund of about $2 wasn't worth the effort. It is in a box with other items to be donated when I next make a visit to Goodwill.

8) Speaking of birds, Elvis once owned a peacock. It damaged his cars, so he gave it to the Memphis Zoo. In earlier days, it might have been dinner, for peacock was considered a medieval delicacy. What's the last poultry you prepared?

A. Chicken.

9)  Random question: You and a friend have dinner at a restaurant. Your friend left her wallet at home, so you pick up the entire tab of $62, including tip. A few weeks later, you two meet for lunch and when the bill comes, she puts down half. Do you remind her that she still owes you $31 from the last time you dined together?

A. No. I don't keep up with that sort of thing. If we were only business associates and not friends I might say something, but I offer things freely to my friends, no strings attached.

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