The Writer of Elvis’ ‘In the Ghetto’ Explained It

Elvis Presley‘s “In the Ghetto” is one of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll‘s more somber and haunting songs and it could inspire many interpretations. The famous writer of the song said the tune is about “a vicious circle.” Notably, the track recently inspired a rap song with a similar theme. 

Elvis Presley’s ‘In the Ghetto’ was written by a country star

Mac Davis was an incredibly talented songwriter. He wrote several Elvis songs, including “A Little Less Conversation,” “Don’t Cry Daddy,” “Memories,” and, most famously, “In the Ghetto.” He also co-wrote Bruno Mars’ hit “Young Girls” and Avicii’s “Addicted to You.” Davis also had a career of his own as a country singer. He’s most known for his hit “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked on Me.”

During a 2010 interview with Smashing Interviews Magazine, Davis discussed the origin of “In the Ghetto.” “I called it ‘The Vicious Circle,'” he said. “A child is born, and because of his environment and everything, he just turns out to be like his absentee father. And basically nobody seems to do anything about it. It just keeps on like a vicious circle. When the kid goes away, another one is born to take his place, and the same thing happens.”

Elvis Presley’s song inspired a tune from a recent film

The tune initially had a different title. “When I wrote it, I had been trying to write a song for a long time, and I called it ‘The Vicious Circle,'” he said. “That was basically what I had wanted to write a song about, and ‘circle’ doesn’t rhyme with anything.

“So I had a hard time figuring out how to do it, and then, in the late ’60s, they started using the word ‘ghetto’ to describe those conditions and the environment in the poverty-stricken areas of the cities,” he said. “So I picked up on that word.” Baz Luhrmann’s film Elvis includes a rap version of the song called “Product of the Ghetto” by Nardo Wick. This rewrite of the song focuses more on modern ghettoes, showing that, sadly, the message of Elvis’ song has had some intergenerational staying power.

How ‘In the Ghetto’ and ‘Product of the Ghetto’ performed

“In the Ghetto” is one of Elvis’ most famous songs today, but it didn’t quite make it to the top of the chart in the United States. It hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for a total of 13 weeks. The tune appeared on the essential compilation album Elvis: 30 #1 Hits, an album which is designed to give fans a taste of each era of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s career. The compilation album topped the Billboard 200 for three weeks, staying on the chart for 184 weeks altogether. 

Wick’s “Product of the Ghetto” did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The tune appeared on the soundtrack of the film Elvis. That soundtrack climbed to No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 20 weeks. Regardless, Doja Cat’s “Vegas,” which combines “Hound Dog” with hip-hop, showed that audiences could enjoy a song with a similar formula. 

“In the Ghetto” was a pop hit but, unlike a lot of pop hits, it had a meaningful social message.