Brown-Eyed Handsome Man
Chuck Berry Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Arrested on charges of unemployment
He was sitting in the witness stand
The judge's wife called up the district attorney
She said, "free that brown eyed man
If you want your job, you better free that brown eyed man"

Flyin' across the desert in a TWA
I saw a woman walking 'cross the sand
She been walkin' thirty miles en route to Bombay
To meet a brown eyed handsome man
Her destination was a brown eyed handsome man

Way back in history, 3000 years
In fact, ever since the world began
There's been a whole lotta good women sheddin' tear
Over a brown eyed handsome man
It's a lot of trouble with a brown eyed handsome man

Beautiful daughter couldn't make up her mind
Between a doctor and a lawyer man
Her mother told her, "darling, go out and find
Yourself a brown eyed handsome man
Just like your daddy, he's a brown eyed handsome man"

Marlo Venus was a beautiful lass
She had the world in the palm of her hand
She lost both her arms in a wrestling match
To meet a brown eyed handsome man
She fought and won herself a brown eyed handsome man

Two, three the count, with nobody on
He hit a high fly into the stand
Rounded third, he was headed for home




It was a brown eyed handsome man
That won the game, it was a brown eyed handsome man

Overall Meaning

Chuck Berry's classic song, "Brown Eyed Handsome Man," is a tribute to the people who spark admiration in others and how they stand out from society's status quo. In the song, Berry tells the story of a brown-eyed man who has been arrested for unemployment and was sitting in the witness stand. The judge's wife calls the district attorney, encouraging him to "free that brown eyed man." She makes it clear that he should free the man if he wants to keep his job. This part of the song highlights the fact that brown-eyed men, even those who are wrongly accused, have a certain allure and command respect.


The song then switches to a story of a woman walking 30 miles en route to Bombay to meet a brown eyed handsome man. Berry is suggesting that women are willing to travel great distances and take on hardships to be with someone who catches their eye. This is followed by a verse in which a mother advises her daughter to seek a brown-eyed man, just like her father. Lastly, Berry sings about a brown-eyed man who wins a baseball game by hitting a home run, rounding third to head home, thereby winning the game. All of these stories illustrate how brown-eyed men stand out and attract the admiration of others.


Overall, "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" is a song about how the color of one's eyes can accentuate their physical attractiveness and how they capture the hearts and minds of people. It speaks to how people are admired for more than material wealth or social status, but also for intangible qualities like charm, wit, and physical features.


Line by Line Meaning

Arrested on charges of unemployment
He was arrested for being unemployed


He was sitting in the witness stand
He was sitting in the witness stand


The judge's wife called up the district attorney
The judge's wife called the district attorney


She said, "free that brown eyed man
The judge's wife told the district attorney to release the brown eyed man


If you want your job, you better free that brown eyed man"
If the district attorney wants to keep his job, he needs to release the brown eyed man


Flyin' across the desert in a TWA
Narrator was flying across the desert in a TWA plane


I saw a woman walking 'cross the sand
Narrator saw a woman walking across the sand


She been walkin' thirty miles en route to Bombay
The woman was walking thirty miles to get to Bombay


To meet a brown eyed handsome man
She was walking to meet a brown eyed handsome man


Her destination was a brown eyed handsome man
Her destination was a brown eyed handsome man


Way back in history, 3000 years
3000 years ago


In fact, ever since the world began
Since the beginning of time


There's been a whole lotta good women sheddin' tear
Women have shed a lot of tears


Over a brown eyed handsome man
Over a brown eyed handsome man


It's a lot of trouble with a brown eyed handsome man
A brown eyed handsome man can be a lot of trouble


Beautiful daughter couldn't make up her mind
A beautiful daughter couldn't decide


Between a doctor and a lawyer man
Between a doctor and a lawyer


Her mother told her, "darling, go out and find
Her mother told her to go out and find


Yourself a brown eyed handsome man
A brown eyed handsome man like her father


Just like your daddy, he's a brown eyed handsome man"
The brown eyed handsome man should be like her father


Marlo Venus was a beautiful lass
Marlo Venus was a beautiful girl


She had the world in the palm of her hand
She was very successful


She lost both her arms in a wrestling match
She lost both her arms in a wrestling match


To meet a brown eyed handsome man
She lost her arms to meet a brown eyed handsome man


She fought and won herself a brown eyed handsome man
She fought and won the love of a brown eyed handsome man


Two, three the count, with nobody on
The baseball count was two balls and three strikes with no one on base


He hit a high fly into the stand
He hit a ball high into the stands


Rounded third, he was headed for home
He rounded third base and was headed for home plate


It was a brown eyed handsome man
The player who hit the home run was a brown eyed handsome man


That won the game, it was a brown eyed handsome man
The brown eyed handsome man who hit the home run won the game




Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: Chuck Berry

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

Jack


on Little Marie (Alternate)

Yes, oh yes, Long Distance, I'll accept the charge, I'll pay
Which love one is calling me, I did not hear you say.
Both are deep within my hearth, her Mom and my Marie

It so good to hear your voice from Memphis, Tennessee

Oh, you mean so much to me, more than you'll ever know,
Surely, you have not forgot how much I love you so
If you would remember, Dear, and sometimes talk to me
Maybe that would reunite our home in Tennessee.

Last time I saw you, just before I had to leave
You did not want to see me off and promised not to grieve,
My hearth was tore apart as I looked back at my Marie
And there the peace is still remain with you in Tennessee.

I guess I should stop talking, after all you placed the call
But anyway that I can help, you know I'll help you all


Then she spoke and asked me to come back and see Marie
And live together in our home in Memphis, Tennessee.

More Versions