John Patton (July 12, 1935 in Kansas City, Missouri – March 19, 2002 in Mon… Read Full Bio ↴John Patton (July 12, 1935 in Kansas City, Missouri – March 19, 2002 in Montclair, New Jersey), sometimes nicknamed Big John Patton, was a hard bop and soul jazz organist.

After spending time with the Lloyd Price orchestra, he recorded extensively for Blue Note, and performed or collaborated with Grant Green, Lou Donaldson, and John Zorn.

His music evolved to incorporate elements of modal and free jazz, without ever losing the basic, earthy groove that he brought to it from the beginning.

He wrote some classics and will be remembered fondly both by musicians and fans. His stellar work included "Funky Mama" and Along Came John. During the late 60s John recorded some very adventurous music for the Blue Note label with artists such as Harold Alexander and George Coleman on lps such as Understanding and Accent on the Blues. Of particular note on the early sessions recorded for Blue Note both under his own name and also with George Braith, Don Wilkerson and Lou Donaldson was the superlative empathy he developed with guitarist Grant Green and drummer Ben Dixon - an organ trio whose work in the soul jazz genre remains unsurpassed to this day.

Since the resurgence in interest in music from this period Blue Note has unearthed many sessions that lay in the vaults. LPs such as Blue John which was actually penciled for release, but never was, and two fantastic (and forward looking) albums Boogaloo and Memphis New York Spirit saw the light of day and showed the world more of this exceptional artist's work.

He continued recording until the late 1990s and his lps (listed below) are well worth finding. In these later years he developed a loyal following in both Japan and Europe - which he toured to great acclaim. He also played live in the US and abroad to great acclaim with several dates having been recorded by collectors. Most recently George Braith issued Eagle Eye Blues on his own label.

I'll Never Be Free
John Patton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Each time I hold somebody new
My arms go cold aching for you
No one can take your place
(Darlin' in my embrace)
I'll never be free

And when my lips burn with desire
No other kiss puts out the fire

Though I may try and try
(No one can satisfy)
This longing in me

(I'll never be free from your smile so tender)
(The sweet surrender in your eyes)
How can I be free when I still remember
How you could thrill me with a sigh

Just like a chain bound to my heart
Your love remains when we're apart
Each kiss, I gave to you
(Made me a slave to you)
I'll never be free

Just like a chain bound to my heart
Your love remains when we're apart
Each kiss, I gave to you

(Made me a slave to you)
And so I'll never be free

Overall Meaning

In John Patton's song "I'll Never Be Free," the lyrics express the longing of the singer for someone who is no longer with them. The first two lines describe the physical reaction the singer has when holding someone new- their arms go cold and they ache for the person they truly desire. This could suggest that the singer is emotionally unavailable and compares their new partner to their former love. The following line, "no one can take your place," acknowledges that despite trying to move on, the feeling of missing their ex won't go away.

The second verse continues with the theme of desire, saying that when the singer's lips burn with desire, no kiss can put out that fire, again indicating that their former love still has hold of their heart. The chorus reinforces this idea with the singer chanting, "I'll never be free." The bridge reminisces about specific memories of the ex: their smile, their eyes, and how they could thrill the singer with a mere sigh.

The final verse brings the theme of chains back, this time describing the ex's love as "bound to [the singer's] heart." The repetition of "I'll never be free" drives home the point that the singer is still deeply in love with their past partner and cannot break free from the memory of them.

Line by Line Meaning

Each time I hold somebody new
Whenever I hold someone else close,

My arms go cold aching for you
I feel empty because they're not you,

No one can take your place
No one can replace you,

(Darlin' in my embrace)
(When someone is in my arms),

I'll never be free
I'll never be truly free from thoughts of you.

And when my lips burn with desire
When I crave someone's kiss,

No other kiss puts out the fire
No other kiss can satisfy me like yours could,

Though I may try and try
Even if I keep attempting,

(No one can satisfy)
(No one can give me what I need)

This longing in me
This feeling of wanting you won't go away.

(I'll never be free from your smile so tender)
(I'll always miss your gentle smile),