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.
Little Marie
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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.
The lyrics of Chuck Berry's song "Little Marie" speak of a long-distance phone call from a woman who asks for the singer's return to their home in Memphis, Tennessee. The singer is receptive to the call and willing to pay for it, yet he is initially unsure of which of his two loves is calling him. As the conversation progresses, it becomes clear that the woman on the phone is Marie, with whom the singer has a deep emotional connection.
The song's lyrics express a sense of nostalgia, longing, and hope for reunion. The singer is hoping for a reconciliation with Marie and speaks of the pain of leaving her behind when he had to travel away from their home. The lyrics suggest that there may have been some tension between the two, as the singer notes that Marie did not want to see him off and promises not to grieve.
Despite any challenges, the song's lyrics ultimately express a desire for a happy ending. The singer expresses his willingness to help in any way he can, and Marie gives him an invitation to return to Memphis and live together again. The song ends with a sense that the long-distance call might have been the first step toward reuniting.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes, oh yes, Long Distance, I'll accept the charge, I'll pay
I am willing to answer this long-distance phone call and pay for it.
Which love one is calling me, I did not hear you say.
Can you please tell me which one of my loved ones is calling me? I didn't hear you say.
Both are deep within my hearth, her Mom and my Marie
Both my girlfriend's mother and my girlfriend are very important to me and reside in my heart.
It so good to hear your voice from Memphis, Tennessee
I'm glad to hear your voice all the way from Memphis, Tennessee.
Oh, you mean so much to me, more than you'll ever know,
You are incredibly important to me and mean more than you could ever imagine.
Surely, you have not forgot how much I love you so
I hope you haven't forgotten how much I love you.
If you would remember, Dear, and sometimes talk to me
If you could remember me and talk to me more often, my love.
Maybe that would reunite our home in Tennessee.
Perhaps that could bring us back together and reunite our home in Tennessee.
Last time I saw you, just before I had to leave
The last time I saw you was before I had to leave.
You did not want to see me off and promised not to grieve,
You didn't want to say goodbye when I was leaving and promised not to be too sad.
My hearth was tore apart as I looked back at my Marie
My heart was broken as I looked back at you, my girlfriend Marie.
And there the peace is still remain with you in Tennessee.
And the feeling of peace still stays with you in Tennessee.
I guess I should stop talking, after all you placed the call
I guess I should let you go, since you're the one who called me after all.
But anyway that I can help, you know I'll help you all
No matter what, I'm always here to help you in any way that I can.
Then she spoke and asked me to come back and see Marie
Then my girlfriend spoke and asked me to come back and visit her.
And live together in our home in Memphis, Tennessee.
And live together again in our home in Memphis, Tennessee.
Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: CHUCK BERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dotell3359
Never heard this song before... Thank you ☺️
@waynejohanson1083
Another Great song by Chuck.
@darrylcpreston4043
Melodically as well. Probably Chuck's response to Lonnie Mack or Johnny Rivers [or both] who made him a ton of royalty $$$ in 1963 and 1964 respectively with their versions of Memphis.
@b.rodclark7349
Technically a part two sequel to 'Memphis' 5 years later.
@patrickstocks3576
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 health 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
@danstarr374
his answer to his own song Memphis...lots of artists made answer records...