Chuck Berry remains an influential figure and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music who first began performing in 1953. Cub Koda wrote, "Of all the early breakthrough rock & roll artists, none is more important to the development of the music than Chuck Berry. He is its greatest songwriter, the main shaper of its instrumental voice, one of its greatest guitarists, and one of its greatest performers." John Lennon was more succinct: "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'."
Berry was among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986. He received Kennedy Center Honors in 2000 in a "class" with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Plácido Domingo, Angela Lansbury, and Clint Eastwood. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Chuck Berry #5 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was also ranked 6th on Rolling Stone's Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists of All Time.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included three of Chuck Berry's songs (Johnny B. Goode, Maybellene, Rock & Roll Music), of the 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll.
Chuck Berry held a special place, in terms of sound development, in the formation of, Mersey-Beat at Liverpool.
The finest exponent of Chuck Berry, guitar, sound at Liverpool during 1959 to 1963, was Vincent Tow/Ismail, who in turn passed on many of the learned skills to Lennon & McCartney, his friends and colleagues during that period--1959 to 1962/3.
Chuck Berry also influenced many of the great rock 'n' roll bands that we know today including The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.
Crazy Arms
Chuck Berry Lyrics
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And a storm is brewing in this heart of mine
This ain't no crazy dream now I know that is real
You're someone else's love now you're not mine
Crazy arms that reach to hold someone new
For my yearning heart keeps saying you're not mine
My troubled mind knows soon to another you'll be wed
And that is why I'm lonely all the time
So please take the treasured dreams that I had for you and me
And take all the love I thought was mine
Someday my crazy arms may old someone new
Right now I'm so lonely all the time
Crazy arms that reach to hold someone new
For my yearning heart keeps saying you're not mine
My troubled mind knows soon to another you'll be wed
And that is why I'm lonely all the time
Chuck Berry's song "Crazy Arms" is a heartbreaking ballad of unrequited love. The lyrics describe the singer's feelings of loneliness and heartbreak after the person they loved has moved on to someone else. The song begins with the lyrics "Blue, ain't the word for the way that I feel," emphasizing the singer's deep sadness and despair. They describe feeling like there's a storm brewing in their heart, further emphasizing the intensity of their emotions.
The chorus of the song features the recurring phrase "Crazy arms that reach to hold someone new," which suggests that although the singer knows that their love is not reciprocated, they still struggle to let go. The lyrics also highlight the singer's feelings of betrayal and jealousy as they acknowledge that the person they love is someone else's love now, and they are feeling lonely all the time because of it.
Towards the end of the song, the singer acknowledges that they need to let go of their dreams and the love they thought was theirs. They recognize that someday their "crazy arms" may find someone new, but for now, they are still struggling to move on.
Overall, "Crazy Arms" is a poignant and relatable song about the pain of unrequited love and the difficulty of letting go.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue, ain't the word for the way that I feel
I'm not just sad, I'm beyond blue and completely heartbroken
And a storm is brewing in this heart of mine
I'm filled with anger and heartache, like a storm is brewing inside me
This ain't no crazy dream now I know that is real
I can't deny the truth that you're with someone else now, it's not just my imagination
You're someone else's love now you're not mine
It hurts me to accept that you're in love with someone else, and not with me
Crazy arms that reach to hold someone new
I'm desperately holding out my arms for anyone to fill this void left by you
For my yearning heart keeps saying you're not mine
Even though my heart still wants you, my mind knows I can't have you anymore
My troubled mind knows soon to another you'll be wed
I'm aware that you'll be married to someone else soon, and it pains me to think about it
And that is why I'm lonely all the time
My heartache and loneliness are a constant reminder of what I've lost
So please take the treasured dreams that I had for you and me
I'm begging you to take the dreams I had for us, since they're no longer a reality
And take all the love I thought was mine
Please take the love that I had for you, since you're not mine anymore
Someday my crazy arms may hold someone new
Maybe someday I'll find someone else to love and my empty arms won't feel so crazy
Right now I'm so lonely all the time
But for now, I'm lonely and grieving the love that I've lost
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHUCK SEALS, RALPH EUGENE MOONEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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.