Broke family/Apart, Memphis Tennessee, Sealed With A Kiss

[Adam]

I think just one song posting was lost recently, the great broken-family song Memphis Tennessee by Chuck Berry. Covers were I believe recorded by Johnny Rivers, The Faces, Rod Stewart, The Beatles, Elvis Presley (with a happy ending added) and others.

Memphis Tennessee, by Chuck Berry.

Long Distance Information give me Memphis Tennessee
Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me.
She could not leave her number, but I know who placed the call
'cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall.

Help me Information get in touch with my Marie,
She's the only one who'd phone me here from Memphis, Tennessee.
Her home is on the south side, high up on a ridge
Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge.

Help me Information more than that I can not add
Only that I miss her and all the fun we had.
Marie and I were pulled apart 'cause her mom did not agree
And tore apart our happy home in Memphis, Tennessee.

Last time I saw Marie, she was waving me goodbye
With 'hurry home' drops on her cheeks that trickled from her eye.
Marie is only six years old, Information please
Try to put me through to her in Memphis, Tennessee.

. Listen

Of course we today would not use a landline phone company Information, but would use Google or other internet search to locate someone or their phone number !

[Colin]

That is a great song Adam. I have been searching the internet for that Elvis version with a happy ending added, but can't find it - though I think Elvis did record a regular version of it ?

[Digiwizz]

An apart-temporarily song I like is Sealed With A Kiss. First recorded by the Four Voices in 1960, this was made a hit by Brian Hyland in 1962. The original starts main verses with 'Guess', but many covers change that to 'Yes' - mostly probably as a mishearing mistake rather than choosing to change words - and 'cold lonely summer' can be sung as 'cool lonely summer' ;

Sealed With A Kiss by Brian Hyland, Gary Geld and Peter Udell 1962

Tho' we gotta say goodbye for the summer
baby I promise you this
I'll send you all my love
every day in a letter
Sealed with a kiss.

Guess it's gonna be a cold, lonely summer
but I'll feel the emptyness.
I'll send you all my dreams
every day in a letter
sealed with a kiss.

I'll see you in the sunlight
I'll hear your voice everywhere
I'll run to tenderly hold you
but baby you won't be there.

I don't wanna say goodbye for the summer
knowing the loneliness
so let us take a pledge to meet in September
and seal it with a kiss.

Guess it's gonna be a cold lonely summer
but I'll feel the emptyness.
I'll send you all my love
every day in a letter
Sealed with a kiss.
Sealed with a kiss.

. Listen

[allmost]

One of the great classic broken-heart songs with the simplest lyric has to be Donna by Ritchie Valens ;


Donna, by Ritchie Valens 1958


Oh Donna, Oh Donna, Oh Donna, Oh Donna

I had a girl.
Donna was her name.
Since she left me, I've never been the same
Cause I love my girl.
Donna where can you be ?
Where can you be ?

Now that you're gone,
I'm left all alone.
All by myself, to wander and roam.
Cause I love my girl.
Donna where can you be ?
Where can you be ?

Well, Darling now that you're gone,
I don't know what I'll do
Cause I had all my love for you

I had a girl.
Donna was her name.
Since she left me, I've never been the same
Cause I love my girl.
Donna where can you be ?
Where can you be ?

Oh Donna, Oh Donna, Oh Donna, Oh Donna
Oh

Hear it -