I'll Never Be Free
Tennessee Ernie Ford & Kay Starr Lyrics
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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
(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
I'll never be free
The lyrics of "I'll Never Be Free" by Tennessee Ernie Ford and Kay Starr describe the unrelenting power of love, specifically the singer's love for someone who is no longer in their life. Despite attempting to move on and find solace in other relationships, the singer cannot escape the memories and longing they have for this person. Whenever they hold somebody new, their arms go cold and ache for their lost love. No one can take their place, and the singer remains trapped in the past, unable to find the same level of satisfaction or joy in anyone else's embrace.
The second verse speaks to the physical desire that the singer still feels for their former lover. Despite attempting to satisfy this desire with other kisses and physical connections, nothing is able to put out the fire that still burns for this person. This longing remains unquenchable, leaving the singer unable to move on completely.
The chorus reinforces the idea that the memory of their lost love is inescapable, with the sweet surrender in their eyes and the tenderness of their smile haunting the singer even when they attempt to forget. The final verse features a metaphor of a chain bound to the singer's heart, representing the persistent hold that their love has over them. Each kiss given to this person made the singer a slave to them, and even now, with time and distance between them, the singer remains unable to be free of their love.
Line by Line Meaning
Each time I hold somebody new
Whenever I am with someone else
My arms go cold aching for you
I miss the warmth and comfort of being with you
No one can take your place
There is no one who is able to replace you
(Darlin', in my embrace)
My love, when I hold them close
I'll never be free
I will always be tied to you
And when my lips burn with desire
When I feel a strong longing
No other kiss puts out the fire
No other kiss can satisfy me
Though I may try and try
No matter how much I attempt
(No one can satisfy)
(No one can meet my needs)
This longing in me
This desire that I have within me
(I'll never be free from your smile so tender)
(I will always remember your gentle smile)
(The sweet surrender in your eyes)
(The way you looked at me with love and vulnerability)
How can I be free when I still remember
How can I move on and forget when I still hold on to the memories
How you could thrill me with a sigh
How a simple gesture from you could make me feel so good
Just like a chain bound to my heart
Like a shackle that ties me down
Your love remains when we're apart
The love between us never fades even when we are not together
Each kiss, I gave to you
Every time I kissed you
(Made me a slave to you)
(I became your captive)
And so I'll never be free
And thus I will always be tied to you
I'll never be free
I will always be held captive by my love for you
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Royalty Network, O/B/O DistroKid, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bennie Benjamin, George David Weiss
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sauquoit13456
On this day in 1950 {October 7th} "I'll Never Be Free" by Tennessee Ernie Ford and Kay Starr peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Most-Played Country & Western Records By Disk Jockeys chart, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "I'm Moving On" by Hank Snow...
Between 1949 and 1976 the Bristol, Tennessee native had thirty-one records on the Billboard's Country charts, sixteen made the Top 10 with three reaching #1, "Mule Train" for four weeks in December of 1949, "The Shotgun Boogie" for fourteen weeks in January of 1951, and "Sixteen Tons" for ten weeks in December of 1955...
Three of his thirty-one charted records were duets, two with Kay Starr and one with Joe 'Fingers' Carr...
Ernest Jennings Ford passed away at the age of 72 on October 17th, 1991...
May he R.I.P.
* "I'll Never Be Free" was Mr. Ford's second of three of his records to peak at #2, his other two #2 records were "The Cry of The Wild Goose" {for two weeks in February of 1950} and "Mr. and Mississippi" {for one week in July of 1951}...
And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Most-Played C&W Records By Disk Jockeys Top 10 on October 7th, 1950:
At #3. (Remember Me) I'm The One Who Loves You" by Stuart Hamblen
#4. "Lovebug Itch" by Eddy Arnold
#5. "Why Don't You Love Me?" by Hank Williams
#6. "Goodnight, Irene" by Red Foley and Ernest Tubb
#7. "Cincinnati Dancing Pigs" by Red Foley
#8. "Mona Lisa" by Moon Mullican
#9. "Ain't Nobody's Business But My Own" by Tennessee Ernie Ford and Kay Starr
#10. "God Please Protect American" by Jimmie Osborne
@Rhezoloution
First ever recording of a Fender Solid body electric guitar! Source : The birth of loud
@erwinroman4217
Jimmy Bryant on prototype Fender Esquire, Speedy West on Bigsby Steel Guitar.
@cj.sabella
That’s what brought me here!
@danielerickson5175
Just reading the passage in the book and came right here!
@jimbo88
That's what brought me here also. Did you all go listen to Les Paul play "Lover"?
@esidedude2869
How come you never hear about this woman?!?! One of the MOST BEAUTIFUL voices ever recorded. 💯🔥
@johnmoreno7664
Both of them!!
@johnmoreno7664
Look at my article...
@sauquoit13456
On this day in 1950 {October 7th} "I'll Never Be Free" by Tennessee Ernie Ford and Kay Starr peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Most-Played Country & Western Records By Disk Jockeys chart, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "I'm Moving On" by Hank Snow...
Between 1949 and 1976 the Bristol, Tennessee native had thirty-one records on the Billboard's Country charts, sixteen made the Top 10 with three reaching #1, "Mule Train" for four weeks in December of 1949, "The Shotgun Boogie" for fourteen weeks in January of 1951, and "Sixteen Tons" for ten weeks in December of 1955...
Three of his thirty-one charted records were duets, two with Kay Starr and one with Joe 'Fingers' Carr...
Ernest Jennings Ford passed away at the age of 72 on October 17th, 1991...
May he R.I.P.
* "I'll Never Be Free" was Mr. Ford's second of three of his records to peak at #2, his other two #2 records were "The Cry of The Wild Goose" {for two weeks in February of 1950} and "Mr. and Mississippi" {for one week in July of 1951}...
And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Most-Played C&W Records By Disk Jockeys Top 10 on October 7th, 1950:
At #3. (Remember Me) I'm The One Who Loves You" by Stuart Hamblen
#4. "Lovebug Itch" by Eddy Arnold
#5. "Why Don't You Love Me?" by Hank Williams
#6. "Goodnight, Irene" by Red Foley and Ernest Tubb
#7. "Cincinnati Dancing Pigs" by Red Foley
#8. "Mona Lisa" by Moon Mullican
#9. "Ain't Nobody's Business But My Own" by Tennessee Ernie Ford and Kay Starr
#10. "God Please Protect American" by Jimmie Osborne
@bulldogbarks55
A true classic. Ernie has been a favorite of mine since I first heard him in the early-1950s. Just shows what real artists can do with their God-given talents. These folks didn't need multi-tracking, synthesizers and a drum machine. They did it naturally!