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.
My Little Love Light
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This little love-light of mine are you gonna let it shine
This little love-light of mine are you gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
With your arms wrapped around me my little love-light will shine
With your arms wrapped around me my little love-light will shine
With your arms wrapped around me my little love-light will shine
Someday soon you promised me you'd make my love-light shine
Someday soon you promised me you'd make my love-light shine
Someday soon you promised me you'd make my love-light shine
With a kiss, your arms around me, make it shine
Wee, wee hours come and let my love-light shine
In the wee, wee hours let my lil' love-light shine
In the wee, wee hours let my lil' love-light shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
Chuck Berry's "My Little Love Light" is a song expressing the desire to have one's love shine brightly. The song begins with the repeated phrase, "This little love-light of mine, are you gonna let it shine?" This can be interpreted as a plea towards one's lover to let their love be shown and acknowledged. The "little love-light" represents the love that the singer holds within them and they want it to be seen and appreciated by their significant other. The use of the word 'little' also implies that the singer's love may have been hidden or subdued in some way.
The second verse of the song suggests that having physical contact with one's lover is what it takes to make the love-light shine. It is said that when the lover's arms are wrapped around the singer, their love-light shines. This further emphasizes the notion of love being something that can be seen and felt physically, and is not just an emotional concept.
In the bridge, the singer pleads with their lover to make their love-light shine with the promise of a kiss and an embrace. The song ends with the repeated phrase, "In the wee, wee hours let my lil' love-light shine," suggesting that the singer will be waiting for their love to be acknowledged and valued.
Overall, "My Little Love Light" is a song that encapsulates the desire for love to be seen and appreciated, and the importance of physical contact in amplifying those feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
This little love-light of mine are you gonna let it shine
The singer is asking their partner if they will allow them to express and share their love.
With your arms wrapped around me my little love-light will shine
The singer is saying that they feel loved and taken care of with their partner's embrace, which makes their love stronger.
Someday soon you promised me you'd make my love-light shine
The singer is reminding their partner of a promise to help them express and show their love in the near future.
Wee, wee hours come and let my love-light shine
The artist is asking for their partner's attention and affection during the late hours of the night, to make their love stronger.
Contributed by Brody W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.