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.
Adulteen
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And high, huge shoes blue bring her five feet four
When boys her age her often just a poor
She's sumo dia teenage anymore
When you hear them call you adulteen
Almost grown is really what they mean
Once you grown, you can't repeat the scene
Would she still desire to dance and twist?
What tootsy and the girls are pro at this
Same ol' boys, she's always dancing with
And if not key evils, steal a goodnight kiss
When you hear them call you adulteen
Almost grown is really what they mean
Once you grown, you can't repeat the scene
So, love and live your life as adulteen
Anxious are the ages in between
One night, down to a budding sweet 16
Adulteen, too soon, you will be grown
To love and live your life for yours alone
When you hear them call you adulteen
Almost grown is really what they mean
Once you grown, you can't repeat the scene
So, love and live your life as adulteen
The song "Adulteen" by Chuck Berry is a cautionary tale about the transitional period between childhood and adulthood. The song is an expression of concern for the singer of the song, a teenage girl who is already five feet tall and wears high, huge shoes to appear taller. The boys her age are not interested in her, but she is too old to be considered a child. The term "adulteen" is used to describe this stage of life, where one is not quite an adult but no longer a child, a time of vulnerability and confusion.
The verses of the song describe the various struggles that the singer faces during her "adulteen" years. She desires to dance and twist like the other girls, but is self-conscious about her height and lack of attention from boys. She is attracted to the same boys who she has always known, but is wary of their intentions, wondering if they might try to steal a goodnight kiss. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "love and live your life as adulteen," urging the singer to embrace this awkward stage of life and to find joy in it before it passes.
The song touches upon universal themes of growing up and the struggle to find one's identity during the transition from childhood to adulthood. The lyrics are delivered in Chuck Berry's trademark style, with a driving beat and catchy melodies that make it impossible to resist dancing along.
Line by Line Meaning
When her height is five feet of the floor
When she is short and her feet don't touch the floor
And high, huge shoes blue bring her five feet four
She wears big, blue shoes to make her look taller at five feet four inches
When boys her age her often just a poor
Boys her age are often poorer than her
She's sumo dia teenage anymore
She's not just a regular teenager anymore, she's growing up fast
When you hear them call you adulteen
When people call you an 'adulteen', they mean you're almost grown up
Almost grown is really what they mean
Being called an 'adulteen' means you're almost fully grown up
Once you grown, you can't repeat the scene
Once you're fully grown up, you can't go back to being a teenager
So, love and live your life as adulteen
Enjoy your life while you're still an 'adulteen'
Would she still desire to dance and twist?
Would she still want to dance and have fun?
What tootsy and the girls are pro at this
Her friends Tootsy and the girls are good at dancing
Same ol' boys, she's always dancing with
She always dances with the same boys
And if not key evils, steal a goodnight kiss
If they're lucky, they might steal a kiss at the end of the night
Anxious are the ages in between
The teenage years are a time of anxiety and uncertainty
One night, down to a budding sweet 16
One night she'll be a young, sweet 16 year old
Adulteen, too soon, you will be grown
She's becoming an adult too quickly
To love and live your life for yours alone
She needs to start living her life for herself now that she's growing up
Writer(s): Chuck Berry
Contributed by Bella O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jack
on Little Marie (Alternate)
Yes, oh yes, Long Distance, I'll accept the charge, I'll pay
Which love one is calling me, I did not hear you say.
Both are deep within my hearth, her Mom and my Marie
It so good to hear your voice from Memphis, Tennessee
Oh, you mean so much to me, more than you'll ever know,
Surely, you have not forgot how much I love you so
If you would remember, Dear, and sometimes talk to me
Maybe that would reunite our home in Tennessee.
Last time I saw you, just before I had to leave
You did not want to see me off and promised not to grieve,
My hearth was tore apart as I looked back at my Marie
And there the peace is still remain with you in Tennessee.
I guess I should stop talking, after all you placed the call
But anyway that I can help, you know I'll help you all
Then she spoke and asked me to come back and see Marie
And live together in our home in Memphis, Tennessee.