John Berry has one of the most powerful and distinctive voices in country music. It's a stunningly rich, majestic tenor that he uses to its full effect. With multiple gold and platinum albums and nominations from the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music, and the Grammy's, he has clearly forged an appreciation from the music industry and fans alike. One such fan includes former President George H. Bush and wife Barbara, who invited John to sing for Mr. Bush's birthday party.
Born in Aiken, South Carolina, and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia area, John grew up in an eclectic musical household. His father listened to concert pianist Van Clyburn, his mother had a strong taste for gospel, and his brother became an opera singer. John gravitated to both soul and country music and began recording his own albums at home in 1979. Two years later, John started performing solo acoustic shows in northeast Georgia, then expanded around the southeast, building a strong name and following. As his reputation grew, so did the demand for his self-styled recordings. He eventually made six self-produced albums, with the last one selling over 10,000 copies. He was finally signed to Capitol Records in 1992.
John had his first #1 single in 1994 with "Your Love Amazes Me," with "She's Taken a Shine" and "Standing on the Edge of Goodbye" following suit. Other Top 10 releases included "You and Only You" "I Think About It All The Time", "What's In It For Me", "If I Had Any Pride Left At All", and "Change My Mind." "Standing On The Edge", as well as his edgy top 10 hit "Kiss Me in the Car," showed off John's songwriting ability.
Making a difference is John's motivation, and he sees music as a profoundly important calling. He has conscientiously used his influence to improve both the global and local communities. He has contributed his time and talents for several children's charities, and lent his name to such causes as adult literacy and Cystic Fibrosis. John has been quoted as saying "If there are things we can do that may help make a difference in the lives of others, we should make the most of that opportunity".
John has been actively recording his own albums with his new independent label, Clear Sky Records. His album Songs and Stories was released in May 2002, and has sold over 25,000 copies at shows, online, and through his Fan Club. For the 2003 holiday season, he re-released his live Christmas CD, O Holy Night Live, formerly titled Christmas Live. That CD has been snapped up by fans also, creating the need for a fourth pressing.
During the summer of 2003, John hit the road with friends David Lee Murphy and Lee Roy Parnell on the "Paintin' the Town Tour". While on the tour, John and David Lee wrote the romantic single "Will You Marry Me?," which received high praise. On reviewing the single, music critic Robert K. Oermann says John has "still got the goods". Also, that "There's something special about saying something in a song for people who might not be able to express themselves in such a nakedly emotional way." Bill Lewis at WYTZ in Benton Harbor, MI, predicts "Will You Marry Me?" will make those single guys want to run out and get the ring for their lady and married couples will want to renew their vows." One fan did just that. He was inspired by hearing the song on the radio to "pop the question" to his girlfriend when he heard the song on the radio. This fan even called John's Fan Club to get the CD early, in order to use it for the special event.
The ambient/experimental/indie rock artist from Chicagoland, IL and the Upper Peninsula, MI has been in several bands since mid-high school around 2005, most recently Shipwreck Party during his time at the University of Northern Michigan, where he helped form Shipwreck Party. He released his solo debut, Big North on Thanksgiving, 2013, and is continuing to release EP's and other works. His music is freely available on johnberry.bandcamp.com, as well as Spotify, and is available for purchase on iTunes.
When a Man Loves a Woman
John Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody falls in love somehow
Something in your kiss just told me
My sometime is now
Everybody finds somebody someplace
There's no telling where love may appear
Something in my heart keeps saying
If I had it in my power
I'd arrange for every girl to have your charm
Then every minute, every hour
Every boy would find what I've found in your arms
Everybody loves somebody sometime
And although my dream was overdue
Your love made it well worth waiting
For someone like you
Everybody loves somebody sometime
And although my dream was overdue
Your love made it well worth waiting
For someone like you
John Berry's hit song "When a Man Loves a Woman" is a song about finding love and realizing that this person is the one you've been waiting for. The lyrics, "Everybody loves somebody sometime, Everybody falls in love somehow" imply that love is universal and that everyone, at some point in their life, will experience it. When the singer states, "Something in your kiss just told me, My sometime is now," he realizes that this person he's been searching for is finally in front of him, and the time to act is now.
The lyrics also suggest that love is unpredictable; "There's no telling where love may appear" and "Something in my heart keeps saying, My someplace is here." Love is not something that can be planned or controlled, but it is something that can unexpectedly appear and change your life forever.
The chorus, "Everybody loves somebody sometime, And although my dream was overdue, Your love made it well worth waiting, For someone like you," speaks to the idea that sometimes love takes time, but when it finally arrives, it makes all those years of waiting worth it.
Overall, the song is about the power of love and finding the right person at the right time. It speaks to the idea that love is universal and can appear in unexpected places, but when it finally does, it is worth waiting for.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody loves somebody sometime
Love is universal and everyone experiences it at some point in their lives
Everybody falls in love somehow
Falling in love can happen unexpectedly and without warning
Something in your kiss just told me
There was a special connection between the singer and the person they were kissing
My sometime is now
The singer realized that this was the moment they had been waiting for to experience love
Everybody finds somebody someplace
Love can be found in unexpected places and circumstances
There's no telling where love may appear
Love can happen anytime, anywhere, and to anyone
Something in my heart keeps saying
The singer's intuition or inner voice is urging them to pursue love in this current situation
My someplace is here
The singer feels that they have found the right person and place to experience love
If I had it in my power
The singer wishes they could share their newfound happiness and love with others
I'd arrange for every girl to have your charm
The singer believes that the person they love is special, desirable, and would make others happy if they could also experience their charm
Then every minute, every hour
If everyone had access to the love that the singer is feeling, they would experience joy and happiness constantly
Every boy would find what I've found in your arms
The singer believes that others would also find their perfect match if they could experience the same love they have found
And although my dream was overdue
The singer had waited a long time to experience love
Your love made it well worth waiting
Finding love with this person made all the waiting and searching worth it
For someone like you
The singer is grateful to have found someone special like their current person of interest
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Calvin Houston Lewis, Andrew James Wright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elizabeth Joslin
I still love this song and never get tired of listening to him sing it from his heart.
Elizabeth Joslin
Love this song.
Aovadore
A request for some more John Berry (5 tracks in total) now uploaded.