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.
I've Changed
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have changed, darling, nothing like I used to be
When I cared so much for you, was love blinded and I couldn't see
I sat down a many evening with my mind in a total ruin
Wondering where on earth you were and what you might be doing
But I've changed, nothing like I used to be
When I cared so much for you was love blinded and I couldn't see
I have waited for you at morning, right behind a sleepless night
But now my eyes are wide open and I see you wasn't right
Yes, I've changed, nothing like I used to be
When I cared so much for you, I was love blinded and I couldn't see
If you still love me baby, you gonna have to come across
We will tear off together so there will be no loving lost
'Cause I've changed, nothing like I used to be
When I cared so much for you, was love blinded and I couldn't see
Chuck Berry's "I've Changed" is a song about how the singer's perspective on love and relationships has shifted over time. The lyrics suggest that the singer was once blindly in love with someone, unable to see their faults, but has since come to understand the reality of the situation. He has realized that his relationship was not healthy and that he was not truly happy in it, but now he feels free and ready to move on.
The first verse states that the singer has changed and is nothing like he used to be. He acknowledges that he used to care a lot for the person he was with, but he was blinded by love and unable to see the flaws in their relationship. The second verse describes how the singer would sit and wonder where his partner was and what they were doing. He was consumed by thoughts of them, but now he has changed and is no longer held captive by these thoughts.
The third verse suggests that the singer has had sleepless nights waiting for his partner, but now he understands that the relationship was not meant to be. He has opened his eyes and seen the reality of the situation. In the final verse, the singer suggests that if his partner still loves him, she will have to come to him. Together they will start anew and leave the past behind.
Overall, "I've Changed" is a song about growth and change in a relationship. The singer has come to the realization that his previous relationship was unhealthy and that he was not truly happy, but now he feels free and open to something new.
Line by Line Meaning
I have changed, nothing like I used to be
I am different now, not the same as before
I have changed, darling, nothing like I used to be
My sweetheart, I am not the person I once was
When I cared so much for you, was love blinded and I couldn't see
When I deeply loved you, my emotions distorted my perception
I sat down a many evening with my mind in a total ruin
I spent many nights in anguish, my thoughts in chaos
Wondering where on earth you were and what you might be doing
Thinking about where you were and what activities you might be engaged in
But now my eyes are wide open and I see you wasn't right
Now I am aware and realize that you were not suitable for me
If you still love me baby, you gonna have to come across
If you still have feelings for me, you need to make a commitment
We will tear off together so there will be no loving lost
We will leave together and our love will not be lost
Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
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.