There are songs that feel like a goodbye even as they are being sung, and Elvis Presley’s “My Way” in Cincinnati carried that weight. On June 25, 1977, he stepped onto the stage at the Riverfront Coliseum and poured himself into a song that mirrored his life. It was one of the last times he would sing it, and you could feel every word land heavier than usual.
The show was not perfect like a smooth movie. Elvis was sick, and his body looked tired, but his voice still touched people’s hearts. He seemed weak and strong at the same time, open in a way that made it hard to forget. When he sang “I did it my way,” it did not sound like just words. It felt like he was telling the truth, soft and shaking.
Elvis Presley – My Way – Live Cincinnati, OH (June 25th, 1977) (Last Time Performed)
Fans in the crowd could sense it too. They cheered louder, almost as if they were holding him up with their voices. Some wept openly, clutching at the final threads of an artist they loved for decades. One fan was heard saying, “He is giving us all that is left of him,” and that raw truth made the song echo far beyond the stage.
But Elvis was not only about endings. Just a few years earlier, he stood on a very different stage in Honolulu for the legendary Aloha From Hawaii concert. If Cincinnati showed a man near the close of his journey, Hawaii showed him at a peak, ready to remind the world of his fire. It was here he sang “An American Trilogy,” a song stitched together from the fabric of a nation.
Elvis Presley – An American Trilogy (Aloha From Hawaii, Live in Honolulu, 1973)
The medley carried everything: history, struggle, hope, and pride. From the quiet sorrow of “All My Trials” to the rising thunder of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” Elvis commanded the moment like few ever could. The stage lights caught him as the orchestra swelled, and by the time he reached the final lines the entire arena rose with him. It was not just performance; it was prayer, anthem, and rallying cry.
That is the gift of Elvis Presley. He could stand broken or blazing, and in both states he reached people where it mattered most. His honesty never needed perfection, only presence. Whether in a final farewell like “My Way” or a soaring anthem like “An American Trilogy,” his voice carved moments that still breathe today. Follow Elvis Presley on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube the next song might be exactly what you need.