You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory

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"You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory"
YouCan'tPutYourArmsAroundAMemory.jpg
Single by Johnny Thunders
from the album So Alone
B-side "Hurtin'"
Released1978
Genre Punk rock [1]
Length3:48
Label Real Records ARE3
Songwriter(s) Johnny Thunders

"You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" is a song released in 1978 by Johnny Thunders, appearing on his debut solo album So Alone and as a single taken from the album. Both the song and album include the guitar work of Peter Perrett of the Only Ones. The title was taken from a line in the "Better Living Through TV" episode of the sitcom The Honeymooners . [2] It is considered by many to be his signature song.

The ballad has been interpreted to be about Thunders' heroin addiction, or about his romance with Sable Starr. However, according to Nina Antonia's biography Johnny Thunders...In Cold Blood , the song was written years before he was a member of the New York Dolls and before he ever tried heroin. [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 Review, The Paris (January 13, 2022). "The Review's Review: You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory". The Paris Review .
  2. 1 2 "Random Obscurities". fms-mag.com. May 2, 2016.
  3. Banas, Erica (August 31, 2020). "Axl Rose Wanted This Famous Image to be the Cover of 'Appetite'". WMMR . Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  4. 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.
  5. Hogan, Marc (June 6, 2006). "Ronnie Spector The Last of the Rock Stars". Pitchfork_(website) . Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  6. "New York Doll" by Laura Cassidy. Seattle Weekly. October 9, 2006. Accessed February 22, 2021.
  7. "Screen: New York Doll" by Richard Abowitz. November 10, 2005 (show date; post-date of review unclear). Accessed February 22, 2021.