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."
Georgia On My Mind
Floyd Cramer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quite as often as I could have
Maybe I didn't treat you
Quite as good as I should have
If I made you feel second best
Girl I'm sorry I was blind
But you were always on my mind
Maybe I didn't hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
I guess I never told you
That I am so happy that you're mine
If I made you feel second best
Girl I'm sorry I was blind
But you were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me, give me one more chance
To keep you satisfied
I'll keep you satisfied
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
But you were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
Floyd Cramer's song "Always On My Mind" is a beautiful but sad ballad about a lover's regret for not appreciating their partner enough. The song begins with the singer admitting that they didn't love their partner as often as they could have, or treat them as well as they should have. The singer acknowledges that they may have made their partner feel like they were second-best and admits to being blind to their partner's importance in their life.
The chorus of the song reveals the depth of regret the singer feels. They confess that their partner was always on their mind, despite their failure to show their love and appreciation. The second verse is equally regretful, with the singer wishing that they had held their partner during their lonely moments and told them how happy they were to be together.
In the final verse, the singer begs for another chance to make things right, to tell their partner the little things they should have said and done, and to keep them satisfied. The song ends with the singer repeating that their partner was always on their mind.
The lyrics of this song are powerful and emotional, and they express a deep regret that many people can relate to. The song is a reminder to appreciate the people we love, to cherish them every day, and to never take them for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I didn't love you
I may not have expressed my love as often as I could have.
Quite as often as I could have
I didn't show my love as often as I should have.
Maybe I didn't treat you
It's possible that I didn't treat you with the respect you deserved.
Quite as good as I should have
I didn't treat you as well as I should have.
If I made you feel second best
I'm sorry if I made you feel unimportant or lesser.
Girl I'm sorry I was blind
I apologize for not seeing the value in you before.
But you were always on my mind
Even if I didn't show it, I was always thinking of you.
Maybe I didn't hold you
Perhaps I didn't physically embrace you enough.
All those lonely, lonely times
During those times when you felt alone.
I guess I never told you
I probably didn't express enough how happy I was with you.
That I am so happy that you're mine
I am extremely grateful that you are mine.
Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Please assure me that your love for me hasn't faded away.
Give me, give me one more chance
Allow me to make things right by giving me another opportunity.
To keep you satisfied
To ensure that you remain content and happy with me.
I'll keep you satisfied
I promise to do everything in my power to make sure you are happy and fulfilled.
Little things I should have said and done
There were small details that I overlooked that would have made a difference in our relationship.
I just never took the time
Unfortunately, I didn't make the effort to pay attention to those details.
You were always on my mind
Despite my shortcomings, you were always in my heart and in my thoughts.
You were always on my mind
You have always been an important part of my life.
You were always on my mind
My affection for you has never wavered.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Johnny Christopher, Mark James, Wayne Thompson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind