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.
How You've Changed
Chuck Berry Lyrics
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Yes, you've changed, your kisses don't feel the same
How, you've changed, our romance to play from dance
First you told me that you loved me and I believed
Then you sold me with the vow that you'd never leave
Now you scolded me, caring not how my heart grieves
Hmm, how I've loved you, since the day you told me your name
Yes, I loved you, thinking you all the wild that'll upsane
Chuck Berry's song "How You've Changed" is a ballad about love that has gone sour. The singer in the song is addressing a lover who has changed since the first time they met. The lyrics suggest that the changes are not positive ones. The lover's kisses no longer feel the same, and the romance has turned to play from dance. The singer sounds hurt and resentful at the lover for breaking the promise of never leaving them. He or she is now scolding the singer without caring about the emotional pain inflicted.
The lyrics also describe how the singer's love for the lover endures, despite the changes the lover has gone through. The passion has not died completely, even though the relationship may be falling apart. The song is a lament for a lost love and the painful feelings that often follow. It touches on themes of heartbreak, disappointment, and regret.
In conclusion, "How You've Changed" is a poignant and soulful song that speaks to anyone who has felt the sting of lost love. The lyrics are lyrical and expressive, and the melody is haunting, making it a classic tune that still resonates after all these years.
Line by Line Meaning
Gee, you've changed since the day you told me your name
Wow, you're different now compared to when we first met and you introduced yourself
Yes, you've changed, your kisses don't feel the same
Yes, you have transformed, and now your displays of affection have lost the passion they once possessed
How, you've changed, our romance to play from dance
What a transformation you have undergone, turning our romantic dance into a mere game with no deeper meaning
First you told me that you loved me and I believed
Initially, you professed your love to me, and I believed your words
Then you sold me with the vow that you'd never leave
Subsequently, you convinced me of your commitment and promise to never abandon our relationship
Now you scolded me, caring not how my heart grieves
But now, you reprimand me with no regard for the emotional pain it's causing me
Hmm, how I've loved you, since the day you told me your name
Oh, how deeply I have cared for you, ever since the day we first met and you told me your name
Yes, I loved you, thinking you all the wild that'll upsane
Yes, I loved you, imagining that you were the one who'd drive me wild with passion and bring chaos to my life
And I'll still love you, even knowing I know you've changed
Despite realizing that you have transformed, I will continue to love you with all my heart
Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: Chuck Berry
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.