Memphis
Bo Diddley Lyrics
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Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me
She could not leave her number, but I know who placed the call
'Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall
Help me, information, get in touch with my Marie
She's the only one who'd phone me here from Memphis Tennessee
Her home is on the south side, high up on a ridgeJust a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge
Help me, information, more than that I cannot add
Only that I miss her and all the fun we had
But we were pulled apart because her mom did not agree
And tore apart our happy home in Memphis Tennessee
Last time I saw Marie she's waving me good bye
With hurry home drops on her cheek that trickled from her eye
Marie is only six years old, information please
Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee
The lyrics of Bo Diddley's "Memphis" are a plea for help to long distance information to get in touch with Marie, who lives in Memphis, Tennessee. The singer is trying to find the party who tried to call him but could not leave a number. He knows that his uncle took the message and wrote it on the wall. The song tells the story of how he met Marie and the fun they had together before being pulled apart by her mother, who did not agree with their relationship. The singer misses Marie and wants to find her, but he can only provide limited information, such as her location on the south side, high up on a ridge, and her proximity to the Mississippi Bridge.
Overall, the song is a nostalgic and wistful tribute to a lost love. The use of long distance information as a narrative device adds to the sense of longing that permeates the song. Despite the distance between them and the obstacles they face, the singer's love for Marie is strong and enduring, as evidenced by his determination to find her.
Line by Line Meaning
Long distance information, give me Memphis Tennessee
I need to speak to someone in Memphis and I need help finding the right person
Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me
Someone is trying to contact me from Memphis and they didn't leave their number, so I need help locating them
She could not leave her number, but I know who placed the call
The person who called me from Memphis didn't leave their number, but I know who it was
'Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall
My uncle wrote down the message from the person who called and left it on the wall for me to read
Help me, information, get in touch with my Marie
I need help finding my friend Marie and getting in touch with her
She's the only one who'd phone me here from Memphis Tennessee
Marie is the only person who would call me from Memphis
Her home is on the south side, high up on a ridge
Marie's house is located on the southern side of Memphis and is situated on a high ridge
Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge
Marie's house is located just half a mile away from the Mississippi Bridge
Help me, information, more than that I cannot add
I don't have any more information beyond what I've already told you
Only that I miss her and all the fun we had
I miss Marie and all the good times we used to have together
But we were pulled apart because her mom did not agree
Marie and I were separated because her mother didn't approve of our relationship
And tore apart our happy home in Memphis Tennessee
Marie's mother caused our happy home in Memphis to be destroyed
Last time I saw Marie she's waving me good bye
The last time I saw Marie, she was saying goodbye to me and waving
With hurry home drops on her cheek that trickled from her eye
Marie had tears in her eyes and was crying when she said goodbye and told me to come home soon
Marie is only six years old, information please
Please help me find a way to get in touch with Marie, who is only six years old
Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee
Please help me connect with Marie in Memphis, Tennessee
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: PAT MC LAUGHLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@adderal2147
The electronic sound of the guitar makes this a proto-punk classic
@Grahamgusbull
Saw him on a long ago recorded BBC session last week,where he declared,"I'm Crazy!".... I always knew it....BO IS BONKERS...but we wouldn't have him any other way!
@Grahamgusbull
My LP is gathering dust in the shed,forgot how enjoyable this version is. Bo's guitar always sounds like it's been played in a huge drainpipe....love it!
@utubescooby1
RARE....Quality...AMAZING many many many thanks for posting....very much appreciated!!!