Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Cramer grew up in the small town of Huttig, Arkansas, teaching himself to play the piano. After finishing high school, he returned to Shreveport, where he worked as a pianist for the Louisiana Hayride radio show.
In 1952, he made his way to Nashville at a time when the use of piano accompanists in country music was growing in popularity. Before long, Cramer would become one of the busiest studio musicians in the industry, playing piano for stars such as Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, The Browns, Jim Reeves, Roy Orbison, Don Gibson and the Everly Brothers, and many others. It is Cramer's piano that is heard, for example, on Presley's first national hit, "Heartbreak Hotel."
However, Cramer remained a virtual unknown to anyone but music industry insiders until he recorded a 45 rpm single in 1960 called "Last Date." An instrumental, the music exhibited a relatively new concept for piano playing known as the "slip note" style. The record went to Number two on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart. By the mid-1960s, Cramer had become a respected performer, making numerous record albums and touring with guitar maestro Chet Atkins and saxophonist Boots Randolph.
Floyd Cramer died of lung cancer in 1997 at the age of 64 and was interred in the Spring Hill Cemetery in the Nashville suburb of Madison, Tennessee.
In 2003, he was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee offers the "Floyd Cramer Competitive Scholarship."
A Lover's Concerto
Floyd Cramer Lyrics
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Birds high upon the trees serenade the flow'rs with their melodies.
Oh, see there beyond the hill, the bright colors of the rainbow;
Some magic from above made this day for us, just to fall in love.
How gentle is the rain, that falls gently on the meadow;
Birds high upon the trees serenade the flow'rs with their melodies.
Oh, see there beyond the hill, the bright colors of the rainbow;
You'll hold me in your arms, and say once again you love me;
And if your love is true, ev'rything will be just as wonderful.
You'll hold me in your arms, and say once again you love me;
The lyrics to Floyd Cramer's song "A Lover's Concerto" describe the beauty of nature as the gentle rain falls softly on the meadow and the birds above sing melodies to the flowers. The singer of the song marvels at the bright colors of the rainbow beyond the hill and believes that this day was made for them to fall in love. The gentle rain and nature's beauty create a magical atmosphere where anything is possible, including falling in love.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea of holding the loved one in their arms and hearing them say "I love you" once again. This creates a sense of comfort and security in the singer's mind that everything will be wonderful if their love is true. The overall message of the song is that love is a beautiful thing that can happen unexpectedly and in the most magical of circumstances.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Sandy Linzer, Denny Randell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind