You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory
"You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory" is a song released in 1978 by Johnny Thunders. The title was taken from a line in the "Better Living Through TV" episode of the sitcom The Honeymooners.[1] It is considered by many to be his signature song.
| "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Johnny Thunders | |
| from the album So Alone | |
| B-side | "Hurtin'" |
| Released | 1978 |
| Genre | Punk rock |
| Length | 3:48 |
| Label | Real Records ARE3 |
| Songwriter(s) | Johnny Thunders |
The ballad has been interpreted to be about Thunders’ heroin addiction, and about his romance with Sable Starr. However, according to Nina Antonia's biography, Johnny Thunders...In Cold Blood, the song was written before he was even a member of the New York Dolls, and years before he ever tried heroin.[1]
Peter Perrett, from the English new wave band The Only Ones, supplied guitar and backing vocals.
Covers
- Guns N' Roses covered the song on their album, "The Spaghetti Incident?". All the instruments on this version were performed by Duff McKagan.[2]
- Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day covered the song on the album No Fun Mondays.[3]
- Ronnie Spector (featuring Joey Ramone) covered the song on her album The Last of the Rock Stars.[4][5]
- The song appears in the documentary about Thunders's New York Dolls bandmate Arthur Kane, New York Doll.[6][7]
References
- "Random Obscurities". fms-mag.com. May 2, 2016.
- Banas, Erica (August 31, 2020). "Axl Rose Wanted This Famous Image to be the Cover of 'Appetite'". WMMR. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Jones, Damian (March 30, 2020). "Listen to Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong cover Johnny Thunders' 'You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory'". NME. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- Hogan, Marc (June 6, 2006). "Ronnie Spector The Last of the Rock Stars". Pitchfork_(website). Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- Review, The Paris (January 13, 2022). "The Review's Review: You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory". The Paris Review.
- "New York Doll" by Laura Cassidy. Seattle Weekly. October 9, 2006. Accessed February 22, 2021.
- "Screen: New York Doll" by Richard Abowitz. November 10, 2005 (show date; post-date of review unclear). Accessed February 22, 2021.
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