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."
Don't Know Much
Floyd Cramer Lyrics
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Heard they crowded the floor
Couldn't bear it without you
Don't get around much anymore
Though I'd visit the club
Got as far as the door
They'd have asked me about you
Darling, I guess my mind's more at ease
But nevertheless why stir up memories?
Been invited on dates
Might have gone but what for?
Awf'lly diff'rent without you
Don't get around much anymore
The lyrics to "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" by Floyd Cramer speaks of a person who has become more comfortable with solitude as a result of a break up. The singer reveals that they have missed a gathering but couldn't bring themselves to go because the memories of dancing with their ex-partner still linger. The club was a place that they used to frequent together, and their absence made it unappealing. The second stanza describes how they almost visited the club but was stopped by the thought of being interrogated about their ex-partner. The bridge of the song highlights how the singer doesn't want to stir up memories, although they're more at ease now.
The last stanza reveals that the singer has been invited on dates but they did not want to go because it's not the same without their ex-partner. The repetition of "Don't get around much anymore" throughout the song emphasizes how the separation has affected their social life. Overall, Floyd Cramer's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" is a poignant reminder of how love and loss can impact our social life.
Line by Line Meaning
Missed the Saturday dance
I didn't go to the Saturday dance.
Heard they crowded the floor
I heard the dance was quite popular and crowded.
Couldn't bear it without you
I didn't want to go without you, it would have been uncomfortable.
Don't get around much anymore
I don't go out as much as I used to.
Though I'd visit the club
I thought about going to the club anyway.
Got as far as the door
I didn't make it to the club, I stopped at the entrance.
They'd have asked me about you
People at the club would have asked me about you if I went.
Don't get around much anymore
I don't go out as much as I used to.
Darling, I guess my mind's more at ease
I feel more relaxed now.
But nevertheless why stir up memories?
But why bring back old memories and feelings?
Been invited on dates
I've been asked out on dates.
Might have gone but what for?
I might have gone, but what's the point?
Awf'lly diff'rent without you
It's really different without you.
Don't get around much anymore
I don't go out as much as I used to.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Duke Ellington, Bob Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind