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I've Never Been To Memphis

by Billie Ray Martin

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1.
I saw my face in the paper today it said hello to the face that i saw at home then I read a tale of a girl with my name it was not the one that I know, no you shook my hand and you said you understand and you said that you know where I'm coming from but the only place that I've ever been is far, far from known what you say about me stabs me in the heart what you read about me is a shot in the dark I've never been to Memphis I've never seen my good-luck star I've never seen Las Vegas lights laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, hm I want to see my name in neon lights cause the words that you write they don't last, my friends they only shine a day at a time and leave stains on my hands, well so what's the use in rolling the dice when you already know how it's gonna fall you think that if you play your cards right you might deal with us all what're gonna do when a seven falls will the rolling thunder scatter all of your cards I've never been to Memphis, no I've never seen my good-luck star I've never seen Las Vegas lights laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, cross my heart ooh yes believe me I've never been to Memphis, no no I've never seen my good-luck star, baby I wanna see Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, cross my heart I've never been to Memphis, no no no I've never seen my good-luck star, yeah I've never seen Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard (yeah) I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, yeah I've never been to Memphis, no no I've never seen my good-luck star (no no) I've never seen Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged a train of my dress through the Nevada desert sand I've never been to Memphis raise my hand, raise my hand, baby, yeah tell it how it is, c'mon on whoo! cross my heart whow! that's the one - that was the one
2.
I saw my face in the paper today it said hello to the face that i saw at home then I read a tale of a girl with my name it was not the one that I know, no you shook my hand and you said you understand and you said that you know where I'm coming from but the only place that I've ever been is far, far from known what you say about me stabs me in the heart what you read about me is a shot in the dark I've never been to Memphis I've never seen my good-luck star I've never seen Las Vegas lights laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, hm I want to see my name in neon lights cause the words that you write they don't last, my friends they only shine a day at a time and leave stains on my hands, well so what's the use in rolling the dice when you already know how it's gonna fall you think that if you play your cards right you might deal with us all what're gonna do when a seven falls will the rolling thunder scatter all of your cards I've never been to Memphis, no I've never seen my good-luck star I've never seen Las Vegas lights laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, cross my heart ooh yes believe me I've never been to Memphis, no no I've never seen my good-luck star, baby I wanna see Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, cross my heart I've never been to Memphis, no no no I've never seen my good-luck star, yeah I've never seen Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard (yeah) I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, yeah I've never been to Memphis, no no I've never seen my good-luck star (no no) I've never seen Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged a train of my dress through the Nevada desert sand I've never been to Memphis raise my hand, raise my hand, baby, yeah tell it how it is, c'mon on whoo! cross my heart whow! that's the one - that was the one
3.
I saw my face in the paper today it said hello to the face that i saw at home then I read a tale of a girl with my name it was not the one that I know, no you shook my hand and you said you understand and you said that you know where I'm coming from but the only place that I've ever been is far, far from known what you say about me stabs me in the heart what you read about me is a shot in the dark I've never been to Memphis I've never seen my good-luck star I've never seen Las Vegas lights laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, hm I want to see my name in neon lights cause the words that you write they don't last, my friends they only shine a day at a time and leave stains on my hands, well so what's the use in rolling the dice when you already know how it's gonna fall you think that if you play your cards right you might deal with us all what're gonna do when a seven falls will the rolling thunder scatter all of your cards I've never been to Memphis, no I've never seen my good-luck star I've never seen Las Vegas lights laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, cross my heart ooh yes believe me I've never been to Memphis, no no I've never seen my good-luck star, baby I wanna see Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, cross my heart I've never been to Memphis, no no no I've never seen my good-luck star, yeah I've never seen Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard (yeah) I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, yeah I've never been to Memphis, no no I've never seen my good-luck star (no no) I've never seen Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged a train of my dress through the Nevada desert sand I've never been to Memphis raise my hand, raise my hand, baby, yeah tell it how it is, c'mon on whoo! cross my heart whow! that's the one - that was the one
4.
I saw my face in the paper today it said hello to the face that i saw at home then I read a tale of a girl with my name it was not the one that I know, no you shook my hand and you said you understand and you said that you know where I'm coming from but the only place that I've ever been is far, far from known what you say about me stabs me in the heart what you read about me is a shot in the dark I've never been to Memphis I've never seen my good-luck star I've never seen Las Vegas lights laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, hm I want to see my name in neon lights cause the words that you write they don't last, my friends they only shine a day at a time and leave stains on my hands, well so what's the use in rolling the dice when you already know how it's gonna fall you think that if you play your cards right you might deal with us all what're gonna do when a seven falls will the rolling thunder scatter all of your cards I've never been to Memphis, no I've never seen my good-luck star I've never seen Las Vegas lights laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, cross my heart ooh yes believe me I've never been to Memphis, no no I've never seen my good-luck star, baby I wanna see Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, cross my heart I've never been to Memphis, no no no I've never seen my good-luck star, yeah I've never seen Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard (yeah) I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, yeah I've never been to Memphis, no no I've never seen my good-luck star (no no) I've never seen Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged a train of my dress through the Nevada desert sand I've never been to Memphis raise my hand, raise my hand, baby, yeah tell it how it is, c'mon on whoo! cross my heart whow! that's the one - that was the one
5.
I saw my face in the paper today it said hello to the face that i saw at home then I read a tale of a girl with my name it was not the one that I know, no you shook my hand and you said you understand and you said that you know where I'm coming from but the only place that I've ever been is far, far from known what you say about me stabs me in the heart what you read about me is a shot in the dark I've never been to Memphis I've never seen my good-luck star I've never seen Las Vegas lights laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, hm I want to see my name in neon lights cause the words that you write they don't last, my friends they only shine a day at a time and leave stains on my hands, well so what's the use in rolling the dice when you already know how it's gonna fall you think that if you play your cards right you might deal with us all what're gonna do when a seven falls will the rolling thunder scatter all of your cards I've never been to Memphis, no I've never seen my good-luck star I've never seen Las Vegas lights laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, cross my heart ooh yes believe me I've never been to Memphis, no no I've never seen my good-luck star, baby I wanna see Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, cross my heart I've never been to Memphis, no no no I've never seen my good-luck star, yeah I've never seen Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged the train of my dress down Elvis Presley Boulevard (yeah) I've never been to Memphis cross my heart, yeah I've never been to Memphis, no no I've never seen my good-luck star (no no) I've never seen Las Vegas lights, yeah laughing at the dark I've never dragged a train of my dress through the Nevada desert sand I've never been to Memphis raise my hand, raise my hand, baby, yeah tell it how it is, c'mon on whoo! cross my heart whow! that's the one - that was the one
6.
the pace of life is disappointing so tie me up cause it takes too long the pace of life is disappointing so hit me hard cause i ain't that strong and you better relieve me of my senses cause they'd waste away in the time it takes to find out what's wrong gotta pick up the pace twenty-four hours a day oh, for just another motherless heart beat, oh yeah, hey c'mon, pick up the pace twenty-four hours a day, ouh for just another motherless heart beat, oh yeah, oh yeah-hee-ee, hee-hee! deliver me from your deadly silence that breeds inside when you hold my tongue (breeding) I'd shout out my gentleness and violence (ooh-hoo) if i only knew how this thing is done for in the sunrise the bird eats fire and the flames are five times around the world before the morning's done gotta pick up the pace twenty-four hours a day oh, for just another motherless heart beat, oh yeah, hey c'mon, pick up the pace twenty-four hours a day, ouh for just another motherless heart beat, oh yeah, oh yeah-hee-ee, hee-hee! for a little high speed moment we'll let her feet run away feet run away feet run away when we zoom in on the freeze frame she['ll] break right down down (down) hey hey c'mon, get up c'mon c'mon, get up c'mon, get up gotta pick up the pace twenty-four hours a day oh, for just another motherless heart beat, oh yeah, hey c'mon, pick up the pace twenty-four hours a day, ouh for just another motherless heart beat, oh yeah pick up the pace twenty-four hours a day oh, for just another motherless heart beat, you better, better, better! (pick up the pace) twenty-four hours a day, ouh (for just another motherless heart beat) hey! pick up the pace twenty-four hours a day, huh! (for just another motherless heart beat) don't you know, c'mon! (pick up the pace) twenty-four hours a day (for just another motherless) heart beat, mm yeah pick up the pace twenty-four hours a day (oooh!) (for just another motherless heart beat, ooh) yeah! pick up the pace twenty-four hours a day for just another motherless heart beat, oh yeah, oh yeah-hee-ee, hee-hee!

about

This song is very close to me. Whether i prefer the demo version, released on the album '18 Carat Garbage Demos' or this one, i can't say. But the song is a tounge-in-cheek statement. Of course I'd been to Memphis. First to meet Ann Peebles and the Hi records guys and Willie MItchell and James Mitchell etc. and i had been welcomed with open arms. The i went back to record at House Of Blues studios, which had chosen. When the band arrived one of the running gags was that whenever i sang "i've never been...' they would do imaginary Pinocchio Noses, knowing i was 'lying'. We fell about laughing all day long. The long guitar parts at the end where i sing ad libs came about because they just wouldn't stop playing. I believe on the demo version you can hear me say 'ok' a couple of times, as in: alright already, we're done. But they kept jamming so i kept adlibbing. The song is about press articles writing about you when the content of what they say has nothing what soever to do with you. The idea for the song came about when i did various interviews with papers and magazines, pouring out my heart, only to find afterwards that the 'journalist' had already arrive with their shallow, pre-fabricated idea. Headlines such as: The tears of a disco diva' etc. in no way reflected what had been shared by me during those interviews. So much for another disillusionment. I've never been to memphis, never seen my good-luck star, never seen las vegas lights (also a lie:)) is me saying: Here is what really matters to me. Things i want to do...
Here's more:
Remixes of the first BRM single from Eighteen
Carat Garbage album. Featuring a storming
trance mix by Oliver Moldan, and moody
down-tempo mixes from Zerocrop and
Hacienda.

credits

released April 28, 2014

written by Billie Ray Martin / Mark Tschanz (Touch Tones Music / EMI Music Publishing)
lyrics by Billie Ray Martin

produced and arranged by Felix Huber and Billie Ray Martin
mixed by Mike Nielsen at Soundgarden, Hamburg

The Memphis Rhythm Section:
organ: Marvell Thomas
drums: Steve Potts
bass: Jimmi Kinard
guitar: Willie M. Toles III
recorded at House Of Blues Studios, Memphis
recording engineer: William C Brown III

backing vocals performed by Ann Peebles, Carla Thomas and Billie Ray Martin
Ann Peebles' and Carla Thomas' vocals recorded at By Faith Studio, Memphis
vocal recording engineer: Paul Brown

additional instruments: Felix Huber
additional recording at White Noise and Luna Studios, Hamburg

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Billie Ray Martin Berlin, Germany

"Billie Ray Martin is one of the living legends in modern music history and one of the best voices on planet earth."
DJ Hell
"Billie Ray Martin is an absolute revelation."
K.Hollings, The Wire
Billie Ray Martin: "I'm a kid from Hamburg’s red-light district, who wanted to be a soul singer, but ended up playing repetitive machine music, while still trying to be a soul singer"
... more

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