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.
Time Was
Chuck Berry Lyrics
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When we exchanged graduation rings
One lovely yesterday.
Time was when we wrote love letters in the sand
Or lingered over our coffee and
Dreaming the time away.
Hikes in the country and there's more than one tree oh where I place my heart.
Darling, every tomorrow will be complete
If our tomorrows are half as sweet
As all our time was then.
These lyrics are a reflection on the good times of the past. The singer is reminiscing about the enjoyable experiences they shared with someone special, likely a former lover or close friend. They recall a time when they had simple pleasures, such as swinging on a school yard swing and exchanging graduation rings. These fond memories are contrasted with the present, where they seem to have lost touch with the person and the carefree experiences they once shared.
The lyrics go on to describe other happy memories, such as writing love letters in the sand and daydreaming over coffee. These were moments where time seemed to stand still and nothing else mattered. The singer longs to return to these moments, to relive those carefree days of youth.
The lyrics suggest that the good times of the past could be replicated in the present or future. The singer believes that every tomorrow could be just as sweet, as long as they share it with the person they once had those happy experiences with. The song concludes by romanticizing the past but also expressing hope for the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Time was when we had fun on the school yard swings
There was a time when we'd have fun on the swings in the school yard
When we exchanged graduation rings
We exchanged graduation rings at some point during that time
One lovely yesterday.
It was a lovely yesterday filled with happy memories
Time was when we wrote love letters in the sand
There was a time when we would write love letters in the sand
Or lingered over our coffee and
We used to linger over our coffee while we talked
Dreaming the time away.
We would dream of what our future would bring during those moments
Picnics and hay rides, mid-winter sleigh rides thay were all apart
We enjoyed doing things like having picnics, going on hay rides, and even some mid-winter sleigh rides
Hikes in the country and there's more than one tree oh where I place my heart.
We also liked going for hikes in the countryside and there was even more than one tree that held a special place in our hearts
Darling, every tomorrow will be complete
My love, each and every tomorrow will be complete
If our tomorrows are half as sweet
If our future is at least half as sweet as our past
As all our time was then.
As those happy times of our past were
Contributed by Julian J. 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.