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.
Do You Love Me
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The one and only question that my heart is wandering to:
Do you love me? Do you mean the things you say?
If you love me, baby, you wonæ?° treat me this way.
Donæ?° treat me this way!
I tried so hard to proove to you that my love for you is real
Do you love me? Do you mean the things you say?
If you love me, baby, you wonæ?° treat me this way.
Donæ?° treat me this way!
(Do you love me? Do you mean the things you say to me?)
I never asked you were youæ?³e been or where you want to go
But now the time has come, my dear, and I have got to know:
Do you love me? Do you mean the things you say?
If you love me, baby, you wonæ?° treat me this way.
Donæ?° treat me this way!
(Donæ?° treat me this way!)
(Donæ?° treat me this way!)
The lyrics to Chuck Berry's song "Do You Love Me" explore themes of insecurity and uncertainty in a romantic relationship. The singer is deeply in love with his partner, but he is unsure if his feelings are reciprocated. He longs for reassurance and asks his partner directly if they love him and mean the things they say. He is hurt by the way his partner treats him and wants to know if their love is real or just an act. The lyrics express vulnerability and a desire for honesty and trust in a relationship.
The repetition of the chorus, "Do you love me? Do you mean the things you say?" emphasizes the singer's uncertainty and desperation for clarity. The use of the phrase "don't treat me this way" adds to the sense of hurt and betrayal felt by the singer. The line "I tried so hard to prove to you that my love for you is real" suggests that the singer feels he is not being taken seriously, and his efforts to demonstrate his love are going unnoticed.
Overall, the lyrics of "Do You Love Me" speak to the universal experiences of love and heartbreak, and the search for authenticity and connection in romantic relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
My first and only love, I do sincerely ask of you
I am asking you, the one I love most deeply, a very important question.
The one and only question that my heart is wandering to:
This is the only question that is on my mind and in my heart.
Do you love me? Do you mean the things you say?
Are your feelings for me true, and do you really mean everything you say to me?
If you love me, baby, you wonæ?° treat me this way.
If you really love me, you won't treat me badly or do things that hurt me.
Donæ?° treat me this way!
I don't want to be treated poorly or hurt by you.
I tried so hard to proove to you that my love for you is real
I have done my best to show you that my feelings for you are genuine.
You never say sweet things to try to change the way I feel;
You never say kind or loving things to make me feel differently than I do.
(Do you love me? Do you mean the things you say to me?)
(Again, I am asking if your love and words for me are true.)
I never asked you were youæ?³e been or where you want to go
I have never asked you about your past or future plans.
But now the time has come, my dear, and I have got to know:
But now I feel that it is necessary for me to ask this question.
Donæ?° treat me this way!
Once again, I do not want to be treated poorly or hurt by you.
(Donæ?° treat me this way!)
(I really need you to understand how important this is to me.)
(Donæ?° treat me this way!)
(And I hope you will stop hurting me.)
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: DANNY OVERBEA
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.