Like Elvis Presley, he was raised singing the Christian gospel music of integrated southern Pentecostal churches. In 1950 he attended Southwestern Bible Institute in Texas but was expelled for misconduct, including playing rock and roll versions of hymns in church. Pearry Green (then president of the student body) related how during a talent show Jerry played some worldly music. The next morning the Dean of the school called both Jerry and Pearry into his office to expel them both. Jerry then said that Pearry shouldn't be expelled because "he didn't know what I was going to do." Years later Pearry asked Jerry: "Are you still playing the devil's music?" Jerry replied, "Yes, I am. But you know it's strange, the same music that they kicked me out of school for is the same kind of music they play in their churches today. The difference is, I know I am playing for the devil and they don't."
Leaving religious music behind, he became a part of the burgeoning new rock and roll sound, cutting his first record in 1954. Two years later, at Sun Records studio in Memphis, Tennessee, producer and engineer Jack Clement discovered and recorded Lewis for the Sun label, while owner Sam Phillips was away on a trip to Florida. As a result, Lewis joined Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash as stars who began their recording careers at Sun Studios around this same time.
Lewis' first recording at Sun studios was his own distinct version of the country ballad Crazy Arms. In 1957, his piano and the pure rock and roll sound of Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On propelled him to international fame. Great Balls of Fire soon followed, and would become his biggest hit. Watching and listening to Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis said if he could play the piano like that, he'd quit singing. Lewis' early billing was Jerry Lee Lewis and his Pumping Piano.
Lewis was a pioneer of piano rock, not only through his sound by also through his dynamic performance. He would often kick the piano bench out of the way to play standing, rake his hands up and down the keyboard for dramatic accent, and even sit down on it. His frenetic performance style can be seen in films such as High School Confidential (he sang the title song from the back of a flatbed truck), and Jamboree. These performance techniques have been adopted by recent piano rock artists, notably admirer Elton John.
Great Balls Of Fire
Jerry Lee Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Too much love drives a man insane
You broke my will, but what a thrill
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
I laughed at love 'cause I thought it was funny
You came along and you moved me honey
I've changed my mind, this love is fine
Kiss me, baby, ooh, feels good
Hold me, baby
Well, I'll still love you like a lover should
You're fine, so kind
Got to tell this world that you're mine, mine, mine, mine
I chew my nails and then I twiddle my thumbs
I'm real nervous, but it sure is fun
Come on, baby, you drive me crazy
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
Well kiss me, baby, ooh, feels good
Hold me, baby
Well, I'll still love you like a lover should
You're fine, so kind
Got to tell this world that you're mine, mine, mine, mine
I chew my nails and I twiddle my thumbs
Real nervous, but it sure is fun
Come on, baby, drive me crazy
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
The lyrics to Jerry Lee Lewis's classic rock-and-roll hit "Great Balls of Fire" are all about the exhilarating and sometimes overwhelming feelings of being in love. The song opens with the singer describing how the love they feel for their partner is so intense that it is affecting them physically: "You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain / Too much love drives a man insane." Despite this, the singer is unable to resist the excitement of being in love, and even though their partner has "broke[n] [their] will," they still find the whole experience "a thrill."
The second verse is where the singer really lets themselves go and confesses their true feelings for their partner. They explain that they used to see love as a joke - "I laughed at love 'cause I thought it was funny" - but once their partner entered their life, they were smitten. They say they've "changed [their] mind" about love and that the feeling is "fine," and that being with their partner brings them closer to something almost divine - "Goodness gracious, great balls of fire." The chorus itself is a repetition of this ecstatic exclamation.
Throughout the song, there is an undeniable feeling of joy and excitement, with the singer painting a vivid picture of being driven "crazy" with desire by their lover, but always coming back to the exhilarating feeling of being alive, of feeling "fine" and "kind," and being able to declare that their lover is "mine, mine, mine, mine." This is a classic rock-and-roll song about the ecstasy of love.
Line by Line Meaning
You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain
You make me feel so excited and agitated that I can't think straight.
Too much love drives a man insane
Excess of love can turn a man crazy and irrational.
You broke my will, but what a thrill
You have taken control of me, but the excitement and enjoyment I feel is worth it.
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
An expression of amazement and excitement.
I laughed at love 'cause I thought it was funny
I used to think that love was a joke.
You came along and you moved me honey
But then you entered my life and changed my perspective on love.
I've changed my mind, this love is fine
Now I realize that love is great and I want to embrace it.
Kiss me, baby, ooh, feels good
I want you to kiss me because it feels amazing.
Hold me, baby
I want you to hold me close.
Well, I'll still love you like a lover should
I will love you the way a lover is supposed to with all my heart.
You're fine, so kind
You are gorgeous and compassionate.
Got to tell this world that you're mine, mine, mine, mine
I want everyone to know that you are mine and I am proud of it.
I chew my nails and then I twiddle my thumbs
I am so nervous that I can't stop fidgeting.
I'm real nervous, but it sure is fun
Despite my nerves, I am having a blast with you.
Come on, baby, you drive me crazy
Your presence and actions make me feel wild and out of control.
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire
An expression of amazement and excitement.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jack Hammer, Otis Blackwell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind