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.
I Saw Her Standing There
Jerry Lee Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, she was just 17
You know what I mean
And the way she looked was way beyond compare
So how could I dance with another (Ooh)
When I saw her standing there
That before too long I'd fall in love with her
She wouldn't dance with another (Whooh)
When I saw her standing there
Well, my heart went "boom"
When I crossed that room
And I held her hand in mine
Whoah, we danced through the night
And we held each other tight
And before too long I fell in love with her
Now I'll never dance with another (Whooh)
Since I saw her standing there
Well, my heart went "boom"
When I crossed that room
And I held her hand in mine
Whoah, we danced through the night
And we held each other tight
And before too long I fell in love with her
Now I'll never dance with another (Whooh)
Since I saw her standing there
Jerry Lee Lewis's version of the iconic Beatles song carries the same sentiments as the original. It is a story about a teenage boy who falls head over heels for a girl that catches his eye. Throughout the song, he narrates his encounter with her and how it led to him falling in love. He is enchanted by her beauty and cannot resist the urge to dance with her. However, he also acknowledges that he cannot dance with anyone else because she mesmerized him completely.
The lyrics showcase the innocence that comes with a first-time crush. Jerry Lee Lewis seems to be telling the story from his own perspective, and his voice conveys the youthful fervor that runs through the song's entirety. The lines, "Well, my heart went 'boom' when I crossed that room" illustrate the burst of adrenaline that one experiences in such an instance. The lyrics, "she was just 17, you know what I mean" could raise eyebrows in the modern-day era, but it harks back to a time where such an age gap was acceptable.
The song's upbeat nature and Lewis's rolling piano chords work together to create a celebratory environment. The sense of youthful exuberance is evident throughout, and the love story is sweet and romantic. The lyrics capture the feeling of falling in love for the first time, and the song lends itself well to singing along and dancing.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, she was just 17
She was a young girl.
You know what I mean
I'm sure you understand how appealing she was.
And the way she looked was way beyond compare
Her beauty was unparalleled.
So how could I dance with another (Ooh)
I couldn't imagine wanting to dance with anyone else.
When I saw her standing there
The sight of her made me feel this way.
Well she looked at me, and I, I could see
She returned my attraction.
That before too long I'd fall in love with her
I knew I was going to love her eventually.
She wouldn't dance with another (Whooh)
I was sure she felt the same way about me.
When I saw her standing there
This feeling only grew stronger.
Well, my heart went "boom"
I was overwhelmed with emotion.
When I crossed that room
Approaching her was a momentous event.
And I held her hand in mine
Our physical contact deepened our connection.
Whoah, we danced through the night
We spent hours enjoying each other's company.
And we held each other tight
Our physical closeness was significant.
And before too long I fell in love with her
I knew I was in love with her quickly.
Now I'll never dance with another (Whooh)
I only want to dance with her.
Since I saw her standing there
From the moment I laid eyes on her, I was smitten.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JOE BLATTNER
He is still rockin that guy! The Killer! :-)
W J
That Little Richard sure can sing.
francis boulanger
une des 1ers composition de mc cartney ! bien ! good job
Sunny Rhoades
Awesome Version Cheers from Canada -
Richard Caron
Based on stories about JLL marrying is 13 years old cousin back in the late 50s, i guess 17 is pretty much to old for him...Sorry I had to say it. :-)
Trill Bill
Too soon lol
Kenny Dobbins
But every other woman he ever married was much older.
W J
It's very sordid.
S.R. R.
@W J It wasn't sordid. It was very common in his area in those days. It was a different time steeped in poverty, and it was legal to marry young with parental permission. Kids were forced to grow up very young and get out and make their own lives. Young woman never looked beyond being wives and mother's as there was little education for them. They were married for thirteen years and she says in many interviews that they are still best friends. Jerry Lee's sister was married at fourteen and so was Loretta Lynn. Kids of today have no idea what hard demanding lives young people before them had to experience, to get society to where it is today.
Bob Crane
@S.R. R. The school system implies women are more valuable as an employee of a corporation that prefers to hire 18 or older instead of marrying someone when they're of breeding age. This is part of why educated people don't breed enough, we have masses of immigration to make up for it; but it takes generations to really adapt and our own people have gone from 90% of the population to less than 60% in less than 50 years. If afluent men married younger (but legal, 18 for argument's sake) women and procreated; they'd have affluent children and she can start a career in her 30's and even take college courses in the evening once the kids aren't little (or have one a year if she enjoys being pregnant, many do.) The harm in Jerry's relationship wasn't their age difference, though cousins shouldn't have kids (it turned out alright, their kid wasn't deformed or special ed) the issue that strained them was how people acted. He had the trifecta, bigamy, underage and his cousin (I think the bigamy part was what clinched it in his region.,) Personally, I think rich men should be polygamist with 18 year old women and young men should entertain mature infertile women while building their fortune (I would have been insatiable with a 40 year old woman in good shape at 18, she'd forgive my inexperience at the time.) Then, when they're in their 30's they have built some money if they have substance and can build a family with 1 or more wives that are of breeding age. If he becomes a tired old man, those women can teach young men the ropes if he's too old and tired for sex.