"Great Balls of Fire" Quotes
Shmoop will make you a better lover...of quotes
ALL QUOTES POPULAR BROWSE BY AUTHOR BROWSE BY SOURCE BROWSE BY TOPIC BROWSE BY SUBJECT
Source: "Great Balls of Fire"
Speaker: Jerry Lee Lewis
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire.
Context
This line is from the song "Great Balls of Fire," written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer and recorded as a single by Jerry Lee Lewis (1957).
The year is 1957, and parents everywhere are trying to ban that vulgar rock and roll music. But they are really just fanning the flames, as the teens keep screaming for more (see what we did there?). So Sun Records released the single "Great Balls of Fire" with Jerry Lee Lewis burning up the keyboard. The lyrics are nothing more than teen hormones talking—mild by today's standards. However, in 1957, incensed parents called it blasphemous and immoral, saying it would lead to sure-fire juvenile delinquency. Why all the fuss? The title "Great Balls of Fire" is actually an old Southern saying meaning "OMG" or "Holy cow, Batman!" in modern terms.
See what all the fuss is about when you click here.
Where you've heard it
The quote today almost always refers to the famous song. But that's okay, because the initial "R" rating never stuck anyway. Today it's a favorite with '50s-themed diners, karaoke nights, Broadway musicals, movies, and your grandparents' mix tape.
For you real movie buffs, remember in Gone with the Wind when Scarlett shocks Mammy by ripping down her mother's drapery to make a dress? Scarlett retorts, "Great balls of fire! They're my curtains now!"
Additional Notable References:
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
'50s rock 'n roll nostalgia and all things mid-century are hot, hot, hot. So go ahead and earn your cool daddy-o hipster points.