You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory

by **Soulmonster** Sat Aug 21, 2010 2:46 pm

YOU CAN'T PUT YOUR ARMS AROUND A MEMORY

Album:
The Spaghetti Incident?, 1993, track no. 11.

Written by:
Steve Jones and Paul Cook (The Professionals)

Musicians:
Vocals: Duff McKagan
Acoustic Guitar: Duff McKagan
Bass: Duff McKagan
Drums: Duff McKagan
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Richard Duguay
Background Vocals: Dizzy Reed, Duff McKagan, Eddie Huletz

Live performances:
'You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory' has to our knowledge never been played live but Duff has played it as part of his later solo repertoire. It was also used as an intro to the song Duff sang on the Not In This Lifetime tour in 2016.

Lyrics:

This one's for you Johnny

It doesn't pay to try
All the smart boys know why
It doesn't mean I didn't try
I just never know why

Feel so cold and all alone
Cause baby, you're not at home
And when I'm gone
Big deal, I'm still alone

Feel so restless, I am
Beat my head against a pole
Try to knock some sense
Down in my bones

And even though I don't show
The scars are so old

You can't put your arms around a memory
You can't put your arms around a memory
You can't put your arms around a memory
Don't try, don't try

You're just a bastard kid
And you got no name
Could you live with me
We're one and the same

And even though I don't show
The stars are so old

You can't put your arms around a memory
You can't put your arms around a memory
You can't put your arms around a memory
Don't try, don't try

Johnny
Yeah your memory
I wanna put my arms around your memory
I can try, I can try
Don't try
Come on

L.A.M.F.
Like a motherfucker

Yo Johnny
What color were her eyes?
Oh, she was wearing shades?
Fuck it

Quotes regarding the song

I didn't play on "Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory".

Guitar Player, January 1994

I didn't even play on the Johnny Thunders song cos I hated that little fucker!

Kerrang, March 1994

Well, the Johnny Thunders song was the one song on the record I didn't play on, and really I have no fuckin'… I hated that guy. He's definitely an icon for the fuckin' junkie songwriters, and a character, but as far as a person, he was a total asshole. So I really didn't give a shit, to tell you the truth, as far as Johnny Thunders.

Q Magazine, March 1994

Well, I recorded it for my record. It's not like I was even making a record. I just recorded a bunch of tunes. “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory" has always been one of my favorite songs. I mean, I had recorded that a while before "The Spaghetti Incident?" — like a year and a half, two years. So, then the idea came to do “The Spaghetti Incident?" and the guys knew I had that tune already done. So they were like, “Hey, man, can we put this on Spaghetti instead of putting it on your record?" I was like, fine, of course.

Conspiracy Incorporated Newsletter, March 1995