Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana, U.S. died … Read Full Bio ↴Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana, U.S. died October 28, 2022 in DeSoto County, Mississippi) was an American rock and roll and country music singer, songwriter, and pianist, as well as an early pioneer of rock and roll music. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2022. his pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. His nickname is The Killer.

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.

Heartaches By The Number
Jerry Lee Lewis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus]
Heartaches by the number, troubles by the score
Everyday you love me less, each day I love you more
Yes, I've got heartaches by the number, a love that I can't win
But the day that I stop countin', that's the day my world will end

Heartache number one was when you left me
I never knew that I could hurt this way

And heartache number two was when you *come* back again
You came back but never meant to stay

Yes, I've got

[Chorus]

Heartache number three was when you called me
And said that you were comin' back to stay
With hopeful heart I waited for your knock on the door
I waited but you must have lost your way

Yes, I've got

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

In Jerry Lee Lewis's song Heartaches By The Number, he is singing about the pain and emotional turmoil that comes with a failing relationship. Throughout the song, he counts his heartaches and troubles, each one more painful than the last. He begins by talking about the initial heartache he felt when his partner left him, and the second heartache he felt when they returned but then quickly left again. The third heartache he experiences is when they promise to return again but never show up, leaving him waiting and feeling hopeless.

The chorus of the song speaks to the overwhelming pain he's feeling, as he has heartaches by the number and troubles by the score. He acknowledges that each day his partner loves him less, and although he loves them more, it's a love that he can't win. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the magnitude of his heartache and the inevitability that his world will come to an end if he never stops counting his pain.

The lyrics of Heartaches By The Number are relatable to anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak in a relationship. They evoke feelings of sadness and despair as Lewis sings about the pain caused by unrequited love.

Line by Line Meaning

Heartaches by the number, troubles by the score
I experience an overwhelming amount of heartbreak and difficulty in my life

Everyday you love me less, each day I love you more
My love for you constantly grows stronger, but your love for me continues to diminish

Yes, I've got heartaches by the number, a love that I can't win
The amount of heartbreak I've experienced is immeasurable, and my love for you is unreciprocated

But the day that I stop countin', that's the day my world will end
As long as I can keep track of my pain and heartbreak, I can continue moving forward, but if I lose sight of it, my world will come crashing down

Heartache number one was when you left me
The first time you left me, my heart was broken

I never knew that I could hurt this way
I had never experienced such intense emotional pain

And heartache number two was when you come back again
When you returned, my hope was reignited, but you quickly left again

You came back but never meant to stay
Your return was only temporary, and you never intended to stay for long

Heartache number three was when you called me
Your call made me hopeful that we could reconcile

And said that you were comin' back to stay
You promised to return and stay with me forever

With hopeful heart I waited for your knock on the door
I eagerly awaited your return

I waited but you must have lost your way
You did not show up, and I was left with disappointment and heartbreak

Yes, I've got heartaches by the number, a love that I can't win
My love for you only leads to more heartbreak, and I cannot win your love in return

But the day that I stop countin', that's the day my world will end
The only thing keeping me going is acknowledging the pain I feel. If I don't keep track of it, I will have nothing left to rely on.

[Chorus]

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, LEGACY OF HARLAN PERRY HOWARD, LLC
Written by: Harlan Howard

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS