Ray Edward Cochran was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota; however, as his parents were from Oklahoma, he considered himself an Oklahoman, and introduced himself as such in interviews. He took music lessons in school, but eventually quit the band to play drums. Rather than take piano lessons, Cochran began learning guitar, playing the country music he heard on the radio. As time went on, Cochran moved to Los Angeles, California in 1953. Together with Hank Cochran, Eddie formed The Cochran Brothers, though the two shared no relation.
Around the same time, Cochran worked as a session musician, but aspired to be a songwriter and artist in his own right, and recorded a demo with songwriting partner and future manager, Jerry Capeheart. Cochran's first notable foray into the public eye was as one of the many performing artists featured in the musical comedy film The Girl Can't Help It starring Jayne Mansfield, eventually resulting in a recording contract with Liberty. He would follow up on this appearance by appearing in several films of the same genre. He also performed as a support act for such stars as Gene Vincent and Little Richard, who were among Cochran's co-stars in the aforementioned film.
For his recordings, Cochran often used experimental techniques that would later become part and parcel for other recording artists, notably recording numerous overdubs in order to create the rich, distinctive guitar sound for "Summertime Blues" and "C'mon Everybody". "Twenty Flight Rock", the song Cochran performed in The Girl Can't Help It, was the very first song a young Paul McCartney played for John Lennon as his audition for Lennon's group, The Quarrymen, which would later metamorphose into The Beatles.
Cochran was killed in an automobile accident in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England during a tour of Britain with Gene Vincent. Vincent and Cochran's fiancee, who were both in the car, survived the crash. Scholars have noted that, somewhat eerily, Cochran's last single release in his lifetime was "Three Steps to Heaven", although the song's lyrical context has nothing to do with death. Cochran's death occurred little over a year after the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, to whom he paid tribute in his recording of the song "Three Stars", which remained unreleased until 1966.
A majority of Cochran's recorded legacy would be released posthumously; in his lifetime, only one album, Singin' to My Baby (1957), was ever released. Perhaps owing to the brevity of his career, Cochran never attained the same star status as other rockers of the era; however, his lyrical themes of teenage desires and rebellion, being somewhat more morose and raucous than his contemporaries, had a profound influence on many of the greatest artists of the '60s and '70s, such as The Beatles, The Who, and The Rolling Stones.
Pocketful of Hearts
Eddie Cochran Lyrics
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A pocketful of hearts, and then you go and wreck 'em
A pocketful of hearts, 'cause you just neglect 'em
For a love that's new
A pocketful of hearts, crazy how you get 'em
A pocketful of hearts, a—love 'em and forget 'em
A pocketful of hearts, a-baby you condemn 'em
One more fool, me too
The story's always true
You never dreamed a heart like yours
Could ever be so blue
A pocketful of hearts, one is gonna haunt you
A pocketful of hearts, one is gonna taunt you
A pocketful of hearts, when he doesn't want you
You'll be cryin' too
The lyrics to Eddie Cochran's song "Pocketful of Hearts" speak of a person who collects hearts and then carelessly wrecks them in pursuit of a new love. The singer is addressing this person, telling them that playing with hearts is a dangerous game that will ultimately lead to heartbreak. The phrase "pocketful of hearts" is used throughout the song to symbolize the many hearts that this person has collected over time, and the many people who have been hurt as a result of their actions. The singer warns that eventually, this person will be haunted by the hearts they have discarded, and will be left alone and crying.
The song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of playing with love and the consequences of neglecting the hearts of others. The repeated use of the phrase "pocketful of hearts" emphasizes the callousness of the person being addressed and serves as a warning to listeners not to follow in their footsteps. The final lines of the song, which speak of the haunted and taunted heart, are a poignant reminder that actions have consequences and that one must be careful with the hearts of others.
Line by Line Meaning
A pocketful of hearts, a-baby you collect 'em
You gather a lot of love interests
A pocketful of hearts, and then you go and wreck 'em
You ruin these chances at love
A pocketful of hearts, 'cause you just neglect 'em
You disregard the feelings of those who love you
For a love that's new
In favor of a newer, fresher love interest
A pocketful of hearts, crazy how you get 'em
You get a lot of people interested in you
A pocketful of hearts, a-love 'em and forget 'em
You love then forget about them
A pocketful of hearts, a-baby you condemn 'em
You judge them unfairly
One more fool, me too
You're foolish for chasing after someone who won't treat you right
Play with fire and you'll get burned
If you keep playing with people's hearts, someone will eventually hurt you too
The story's always true
This is a common and predictable storyline
You never dreamed a heart like yours
You never thought you would fall in love like this
Could ever be so blue
You didn't expect to be so heartbroken
A pocketful of hearts, one is gonna haunt you
You'll always regret the way you treated someone you let go
A pocketful of hearts, one is gonna taunt you
One will come back to remind you of the love you lost
A pocketful of hearts, when he doesn't want you
When the person you want doesn't want you back
You'll be cryin' too
You'll be just as heartbroken as the people you left behind
Contributed by William P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.