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.
No One Will Ever Know
Jerry Lee Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Although a million tears start to flow
I'll cry myself to sleep and wake up smiling
I'll miss you, but no one will ever know
I'll tell them we grew tired of each other
And realize our dreams could never be
I'll even make believe I never loved you
No one will ever know how much I'm pining
Each time the past comes back to haunt me so
No one will ever see the tears I'm hiding
You've hurt me, but no one will ever know
I'll tell them I've found true love with another
That I was glad the day you set me free
I'll even make believe I never loved you
Then no one will ever know the truth, but me
The lyrics to Jerry Lee Lewis's song 'No One Will Ever Know' are about a person who is dealing with heartbreak and is trying to hide it from the world. The lyrics describe the singer's feeling of sadness and pain and how they have to keep it to themselves. The first verse talks about how the singer will cry themselves to sleep every night and wake up smiling in the morning as no one will ever know how heartbroken they are. The second verse talks about how the singer will pretend that they and their partner grew tired of each other and their dreams could never be realized. They will even pretend they never loved them to hide their true feelings.
The chorus reiterates that no one will ever know how much the singer is hurting, and they will hide their tears and pain from the world. The final verse talks about how the singer will pretend they have found true love with another person and that they were glad when their previous partner set them free. These lyrics give us an insight into the singer's inner turmoil and the lengths they go to hide their pain.
Line by Line Meaning
No one will ever know my heart is breaking
I am going through a deep emotional pain that no one will ever be able to understand
Although a million tears start to flow
Despite shedding numerous tears, no one will ever know the extent of my sadness
I'll cry myself to sleep and wake up smiling
I will try to hide my sadness by pretending to be happy and putting on a brave face
I'll miss you, but no one will ever know
Even though I will miss you deeply, nobody will ever find out about it
I'll tell them we grew tired of each other
I will create a false story that we both grew tired of each other to avoid revealing the true reason for our separation
And realize our dreams could never be
I will accept the fact that our dreams of being together can never be fulfilled
I'll even make believe I never loved you
I will pretend as if I never loved you to hide the pain of losing you
Then no one will ever know the truth but me
I will never reveal the truth about my feelings to anyone except for myself
No one will ever know how much I'm pining
Nobody will ever know the depth of my longing for you
Each time the past comes back to haunt me so
Whenever I remember the past, it brings back painful memories that haunt me
No one will ever see the tears I'm hiding
Even though I am hiding my tears, nobody will ever notice them
You've hurt me, but no one will ever know
Even though you have caused me great pain, I will keep it to myself and nobody will be aware of it
I'll tell them I've found true love with another
I will lie and tell people that I have found true love with somebody else to avoid revealing the truth
That I was glad the day you set me free
I will also tell them that I was happy when you left me, even though it is not true
I'll even make believe I never loved you
I will continue to pretend as if I never loved you to protect myself from the pain of losing you
Then no one will ever know the truth, but me
The truth about my feelings for you will remain a secret, known only to myself
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FRED ROSE, MEL FOREE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind