Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) w… Read Full Bio ↴Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American songwriter, guitarist, and singer. He is one of the pioneers of rock and roll music.

Chuck Berry remains an influential figure and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music who first began performing in 1953. Cub Koda wrote, "Of all the early breakthrough rock & roll artists, none is more important to the development of the music than Chuck Berry. He is its greatest songwriter, the main shaper of its instrumental voice, one of its greatest guitarists, and one of its greatest performers." John Lennon was more succinct: "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'."

Berry was among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986. He received Kennedy Center Honors in 2000 in a "class" with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Plácido Domingo, Angela Lansbury, and Clint Eastwood. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Chuck Berry #5 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was also ranked 6th on Rolling Stone's Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists of All Time.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included three of Chuck Berry's songs (Johnny B. Goode, Maybellene, Rock & Roll Music), of the 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll.
Chuck Berry held a special place, in terms of sound development, in the formation of, Mersey-Beat at Liverpool.

The finest exponent of Chuck Berry, guitar, sound at Liverpool during 1959 to 1963, was Vincent Tow/Ismail, who in turn passed on many of the learned skills to Lennon & McCartney, his friends and colleagues during that period--1959 to 1962/3.

Chuck Berry also influenced many of the great rock 'n' roll bands that we know today including The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

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Chuck Berry Lyrics

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I got lumps in my throat
When I saw her comin' down the aisle
I got the wiggles in my knees
When she looked at me and sweetly smiled
There she is again
Standin' over by the record machine
Looking like a model
On the cover of a magazine

She's too cute to be a minute over seventeen

Meanwhile I was thinkin'

If she's in the mood no need to break it
I got the chance and I oughta take it
If she can dance we can make it
C'mon queenie let's shake it

Go, go, go, little queenie
Go, go, go, little queenie
Go, go, go, little queenie

Tell me who's the queen
Standin' over by the record machine
Looking like a model
On the cover of a magazine
She's too cute to be a minute over seventeen

Meanwhile, I was still thinkin'
If it's a slow song, we'll omit it
If it's a rocker, then we'll get it
And if it's good, she'll admit it
C'mon queenie, let's get with it

Go, go, go, little queenie

Go, go, go, little queenie
Go, go, go, little queenie

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Chuck Berry's song "Little Queenie" are about a young and attractive woman who catches the singer's eye. The song begins with the singer describing his physical response to seeing this woman walking down the aisle. He has "lumps in [his] throat" and "the wiggles in [his] knees," indicating that he's nervous and anxious about the encounter. Then, he sees the same woman again, this time standing by a record machine, and is struck again by her beauty. Despite his nerves, the singer is determined to approach her and dance with her, regardless of whether the song is fast or slow.

The song's lyrics are simplistic and straightforward, but they capture the excitement and trepidation of a fleeting encounter between two strangers who are drawn to each other. It's a classic tale of unrequited love and youthful energy, and the upbeat tempo of the music matches the singer's eagerness to connect with this "little queenie."

The song is also notable for its use of slang and regional dialect. In particular, "wiggle in your knees" is a phrase that likely originated in the South and was popularized in rock and roll music. The use of this kind of language is part of what made Chuck Berry's music so appealing to young people at the time - it was relatable and spoke to their experiences and emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

I got lumps in my throat
I felt emotional and overwhelmed

When I saw her comin' down the aisle
When I saw her walking towards me

I got the wiggles in my knees
I felt nervous and excited

When she looked at me and sweetly smiled
When she gave me a kind and affectionate smile

There she is again
I saw her again

Standin' over by the record machine
Standing next to the music player

Looking like a model
She looked beautiful and attractive

On the cover of a magazine
She looked like a model on a magazine cover

She's too cute to be a minute over seventeen
She looks very young and attractive, maybe underage

Meanwhile I was thinkin'
At the same time I was contemplating

If she's in the mood no need to break it
If she wants to dance, I don't want to spoil the moment