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."
Mona Lisa
Floyd Cramer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're so like the lady with the mystic smile
Is it only cause you're lonely they have blamed you
For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile
Do you smile to tempt a lover Mona Lisa?
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there, and they die there
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art.
Do you smile to tempt a lover Mona Lisa?
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there, and they die there
Are you warm, are you real Mona Lisa?
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art.
Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa.
The song Mona Lisa by Floyd Cramer is a melancholic tribute to the famous portrait painted by Leonardo da Vinci. The lyrics suggest a sense of mystery and longing surrounding the woman in the painting. The singer addresses the painting as if it were a living subject, questioning whether her enigmatic smile is a ploy to tempt a lover or a means of masking a broken heart. He contemplates the many failed dreams that have been brought to her doorstep, concluding with the question of whether she is a cold and lonely work of art or a warm and real human being.
The lyrics of Mona Lisa are rich with metaphor and allusion. The title itself refers to one of the most famous artworks of all time, which captures the mysterious smile of a woman who has become an icon of beauty and intrigue. The lyrics conjure up images of a woman who is both alluring and aloof, tempting and unreachable. The singer identifies with the men who have named her, acknowledging that he too is drawn to her mystique. But he also questions the motives of those who have blamed her for her strangeness, suggesting that they have misunderstood her true nature.
Overall, Mona Lisa is a poignant reflection on the nature of beauty, desire, and human connection. The painting itself is a timeless symbol of these themes, and Floyd Cramer's lyrics capture its essence with both sensitivity and insight.
Line by Line Meaning
Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa men have named you
Men have given you the title of Mona Lisa, a woman to be admired and adored.
You're so like the lady with the mystic smile
Your facial expression resembles that of a mysterious and enigmatic woman.
Is it only cause you're lonely they have blamed you
People attribute your mysterious smile to being lonely, as if your loneliness is the reason for your distinct appearance.
For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile
The unique quality of your smile that sets you apart is what people remember most about you.
Do you smile to tempt a lover Mona Lisa?
Are you intentionally smiling in order to attract someone you desire?
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Do you smile in order to conceal your emotional pain and inner turmoil?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
Many people have high hopes and aspirations for you.
They just lie there, and they die there
But those dreams often end up being unfulfilled and abandoned.
Are you warm, are you real Mona Lisa?
Do you possess genuine warmth and authenticity as a person?
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art.
Or are you just a beautiful, emotionless subject of a masterpiece?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ray Evans, Jay Livingston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@savedatlast3867
I play this on guitar but nobody noticed lol Thanks Marcus good song,from Keith