Gerry & the Pacemakers was an English beat group from Liverpool that was pr… Read Full Bio ↴Gerry & the Pacemakers was an English beat group from Liverpool that was prominent in the 1960s Merseybeat scene. They are most remembered for being the first act to reach number one in the UK Singles Chart with their first three single releases: "How Do You Do It?", "I Like It" and "You'll Never Walk Alone".

Gerry Marsden (1942-2021) formed Gerry & The Pacemakers in the late 1950s with his brother, Fred Marsden (died 2006), Les Chadwick (1943-2019) and Arthur Mack. They rivalled The Beatles early in their career, playing in the same areas of Hamburg, Germany, and Liverpool, England, and being from Liverpool, managed by Brian Epstein, and recorded by George Martin. Mack was replaced on piano by Les Maguire ()born 1941) around 1961. They are known to have rehearsed at Camell Laird shipping yard at Birkenhead.

They began recording in early 1963 with "How Do You Do It?", a Mitch Murray written song that both Adam Faith and The Beatles had turned down (in the latter case because they wanted to record their own material, specifically "Please Please Me"). The song became a number one hit, until being replaced at the top by The Beatles' third single, "From Me to You".

Gerry & the Pacemakers next two singles, Murray's "I Like It" and Rodgers and Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone", both also reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. Never before had the first three singles by a performer all reached the top spot (the feat would not be duplicated until Frankie Goes to Hollywood did it in the 1980s).

Despite this early success, Gerry & the Pacemakers never had another number one single in the U.S. Gerry Marsden began writing most of their own songs, including "It's All Right", "I'm the One", and "Ferry Cross the Mersey", as well as their first and biggest U.S. hit, "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying". All of these represented the band's light, poppy, enjoyable sound. They also starred in a moderately successful early 1965 film called Ferry Cross the Mersey, for which Marsden wrote much of the soundtrack.

By later in 1965, though, their popularity was rapidly declining on both sides of the Atlantic. They lacked the innovation of the Beatles and did not have the rawer musical and visual edge of some of the other British Invasion groups, and they soon seemed un-hip. They disbanded in October 1966 with much of their latter recorded material never released in the UK.

Gerry Marsden became a popular cabaret and children's TV entertainer. He reformed the band in 1972 with prominent Liverpool musicians Jose McLaughlin, Billy Kinsley and Pete Clarke. In April 1973, this second version of the group became the only Merseybeat band to ever record for the John Peel Show on BBC Radio. The tracks from that show have now been included on the album Gerry & the Pacemakers Live at the BBC, released on Parlophone Records in October 2018. Subsequently, Marsden occasionally toured with various line-ups of the band on the oldies circuit. Gerry Marsden announced his retirement on 29 November 2018.

The band is probably best remembered for their version of "You'll Never Walk Alone," which has become the anthem for Liverpool Football Club in England. Liverpool's fans sing the song before every match at Anfield, their home stadium.

It's All Right
Gerry & The Pacemakers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's gonna be all right, all right, all right
It's gonna be all right

The day you came my way
I knew I would stay
Close by your side
To keep you staisfied

It's gonna be all right, all right, all right
It's gonna be all right

When you look at me
In your eyes I can see
The love that grows each day
That's why I've gotta say

It's gonna be all right, all right, all right
It's gonna be all right

Never thought I'd find a girl like you
Now I have, I know I'll never be blue
It's gonna be all right, all right, all right
It's gonna be all right

Every time we meet
My heart skips a beat
And now you're here to stay
You'll always hear me say

It's gonna be all right, all right, all right
It's gonna be all right

Never thought I'd find a girl like you
Now I have, I know I'll never be blue
It's gonna be all right, all right, all right
It's gonna be all right

Every time we meet
My heart skips a beat
And now you're here to stay
You'll always hear me say

It's gonna be all right, all right, all right
It's gonna be all right
It's gonna be all right

It's gonna be all right
It's gonna be all right

Overall Meaning

The song "It's All Right" by Gerry & The Pacemakers is a simple yet heartfelt declaration of love and commitment. The lyrics take the listener on a journey of falling in love and finding true happiness with someone. The opening lines, "It's gonna be all right, all right, all right, It's gonna be all right," establish a sense of affirmation and positivity that sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer then reflects on the moment they first met their beloved and knew they wanted to stay by their side to keep them satisfied. The chorus repeats the initial lines, emphasizing the idea that everything is going to be all right because they have each other.

The middle of the song is devoted to describing the depth of the singer's love for their partner. They talk about how when they look into each other's eyes, they can see the love growing stronger every day. The repetition of the phrase "It's gonna be all right" throughout the song reinforces the idea that no matter what happens, as long as they have their love, they will be okay. The chorus repeats again, driving home the central message of the song.

In summary, "It's All Right" is a beautiful love song that speaks to the joys of finding someone special and the comfort that comes from knowing you have each other. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but the sentiment is strong and powerful.

Line by Line Meaning

It's gonna be all right, all right, all right
Don't worry, everything is going to turn out fine

It's gonna be all right
Don't worry, everything is going to turn out fine

The day you came my way
When I met you for the first time

I knew I would stay
I knew I wanted to be with you

Close by your side
Always near you

To keep you satisfied
To make sure you are happy

When you look at me
When you gaze into my eyes

In your eyes I can see
I can see the love in your eyes

The love that grows each day
Our love keeps getting stronger

That's why I've gotta say
That's why I need to tell you

Never thought I'd find a girl like you
I never imagined finding someone as special as you