The jam session seems to have happened by pure chance. Perkins, who by this time had already met success with "Blue Suede Shoes", had come into the studios that day, accompanied by his brothers Clayton and Jay and by drummer W.S. Holland, their aim being to cut some new material, including a revamped version of an old blues song, "Matchbox". Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, who wished to try to fatten this sparse rockabilly instrumentation, had brought in his latest acquisition, singer and piano man extraordinaire, Jerry Lee Lewis, still unknown outside Memphis, to play the piano on the Perkins session.
Sometime in the early afternoon, Elvis Presley, a former SUN artist himself, but now at RCA, dropped in to pay a casual visit accompanied by a girlfriend, Marilyn Evans. He was, at the time, the biggest name in show business, having hit the top of the singles charts five times, and topping the album charts twice in the preceding 12 month period. Less than four months earlier, he had appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, pulling an unheard-of 83% of the television audience, which was estimated at 55 million, the largest in history, up to that time. After chatting with Philips in the control room, Presley listened to the playback of the Perkins’ session, which he pronounced to be good. Then he went into the studio and some time later the jam session began. Phillips left the tapes running in order to "capture the moment" as a souvenir and for posterity. At some point during the session, SUN artist Johnny Cash, who had also enjoyed a few hits on the country charts, popped in.
As the session continued, Phillips spotted an opportunity for some publicity and called a local newspaper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar. Bob Johnson, the newspaper’s entertainment editor came over to the studios accompanied by a UPI representative named Leo Soroca, and a photographer.
The following day, an article, written by Johnson about the session, was published in the Memphis Press-Scimitar under the title, "Million Dollar Quartet". The article contained the now well known photograph of Elvis Presley seated at the piano surrounded by Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.
Crazy Arms
The Million Dollar Quartet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That old storm brewing in this heart of mine
Someday crazy arms will hold somebody new
But now I'm so lonely all the time
Crazy arms that needs to hold somebody new
While your heart keeps sayin' your not mine not mine
Not mine not mine my troubled minds grows blue
Now take all those precious dreams I had for you dear
And take all that love I thought was mine
Some day your crazy arms will hold somebody new
But now I 'm so lonely all the time
Crazy arms that reach to hold somebody new
While my yearning heart keeps saying your not mine
Not mine not mine not mine my troubled mind goes blue
To another you'll be wed but now I'm so lonely all the time
The Million Dollar Quartet’s “Crazy Arms” is a song about heartbreak and longing for someone who is no longer yours. The opening lines, “Now blue ain’t the word for the way that I feel, That old storm brewing in this heart of mine” sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is feeling sadness and turmoil in his heart, and he is convinced that he cannot go on alone. He is begging for a new love, who he hopes will help him forget the pain of his past relationship.
As the song continues, the singer becomes increasingly desperate. He knows that he needs to move on, but he can’t help imagining the person he loves in the arms of someone new. The phrase, “Crazy arms that needs to hold somebody new, While your heart keeps sayin’ your not mine not mine,” describes this sentiment perfectly. The singer is stuck in a vicious cycle of hurting and longing, and he doesn’t know how to break free.
Overall, “Crazy Arms” is a deeply emotional song that will resonate with anyone who has experienced heartbreak. Although the singer is clearly suffering, there is something universal in his story that makes us root for him to find the love he’s looking for.
Line by Line Meaning
Now blue ain't the word for the way that I feel
I am not just feeling sad, I am feeling absolutely miserable and heart-broken.
That old storm brewing in this heart of mine
I am suffering from immense emotional turmoil and distress.
Someday crazy arms will hold somebody new
Eventually, my ex-partner will move on and be with someone else who will hold them in the same way that I once did.
But now I'm so lonely all the time
Currently, I am experiencing intense loneliness and despair in the wake of the dissolution of my relationship.
Crazy arms that needs to hold somebody new
My arms long to embrace someone new and exciting, someone who will help me forget about the pain of the past.
While your heart keeps sayin' your not mine not mine
Unfortunately, my ex-partner's heart is no longer mine, and their feelings have moved on to someone else.
Not mine not mine my troubled minds grows blue
As a result, my mental state has suffered, and I find myself feeling increasingly sad and distressed.
To another you'll be wed but now I'm so lonely all the time
Although I know my ex will eventually be with someone else, right now I am still struggling to cope without them and feeling overwhelmingly lonely.
Now take all those precious dreams I had for you dear
All of the hopes and dreams that I had for a future with my ex have been shattered and destroyed, leaving me with nothing but heartache.
And take all that love I thought was mine
The love that I believed was ours has now been taken away from me, leaving me feeling empty and abandoned.
To another you'll be wed but now I'm so lonely all the time
Even though my ex will soon be moving on, I am still struggling to deal with the sense of loss and loneliness that their absence has created.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHUCK SEALS, RALPH EUGENE MOONEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Be kind
This gives me chills!
Josey Wales
Just completely outstanding, never get tired of listening to these guys…….pure heaven
Rusty Walker
Thank you for posting this gem!
Washington Lobão
Muito bom. #brasil
bobdal1946
The birth of rockabilly.
BlazingChris
Well, Jerry Lee never changed....
Peter Jason
Jerry Number 1 piano player ever🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹👍🍺.....Think this crazy arms was Jerry's 1st hit?...When he started this song I thought how it would have suited Elvis powerful Singin voice also
lizbethsdad
I like how I can really hear that heavy bass (left hand),
RUBY HOLLIS BROWN
Oh, my God! They were trying to use a decor from his souls destiny of what he loved instead of being supportive being a white man singing black gospel his feelings, his heart in the lords soul!