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.
All Aboard
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Newingburg, Kingston, Albany & on we go
To Utica, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.
Erie, Pennsylvania, Cleveland on the lake shore
Whistle at Lorain, San-Dusky to Toledo
Let her roll, hello Indiana by Ohio
South Bend, Gary change trains in Chicago
Springfield, St Louis on the muddy banks
Switching locomotives catching M-K-T making Whizville
Boonville and K.C. cutting to Topeka no more little bitty
Towns where she stops till she hits Oklahoma City
The lyrics to Chuck Berry's "All Aboard" describe a journey on a train, with each verse mentioning the various cities and towns the train travels through. The song begins with the call, "All aboard," signaling the start of the journey. The first verse lists the towns and cities that the train will pass through, including Newingburg, Kingston, Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Erie, and Cleveland. The second verse describes the train's journey through Indiana and Chicago, with mentions of South Bend, Gary, Charleyette, Bloomington, Decatur, and Springfield. The final verse describes the train's journey through Missouri and Kansas, with mention of St. Louis, M-K-T, Whizville, Boonville, K.C. (Kansas City), Topeka, and Oklahoma City.
The lyrics of "All Aboard" evoke a sense of adventure and excitement, capturing the thrill of travel by train. By listing the various cities and towns that the train passes through, the song creates a sense of geographic context, and gives the listener a sense of the distance and terrain being covered. At the same time, the repeated refrain of "All aboard" creates a sense of urgency and momentum, driving the song forward and evoking the feeling of a train journey in progress. Overall, the lyrics of "All Aboard" are a celebration of travel and adventure, capturing the exhilaration of exploring new places and experiencing new things.
Line by Line Meaning
All aboard
Get ready to hop on the train
Newingburg, Kingston, Albany & on we go
We start our journey from these places and continue forward
To Utica, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.
The train stops at these cities on its way
Erie, Pennsylvania, Cleveland on the lake shore
We pass through these cities located on the shore of the lake
Whistle at Lorain, San-Dusky to Toledo
The train whistles as it travels through Lorain, Sandusky and Toledo
Let her roll, hello Indiana by Ohio
The train continues its journey towards Indiana, passing by the state of Ohio
South Bend, Gary change trains in Chicago
Changing trains at Chicago while passing through South Bend and Gary
Charleyette, Bloomington, Decatur, make a right flank
Making a right turn towards Charleyette, Bloomington and Decatur
Springfield, St Louis on the muddy banks
Passing through Springfield and St. Louis located near muddy banks
Switching locomotives catching M-K-T making Whizville
Switching trains and catching the Missouri-Kansas-Texas line towards Whizville
Boonville and K.C. cutting to Topeka no more little bitty
Going from Boonville and Kansas City to Topeka without stopping at small towns
Towns where she stops till she hits Oklahoma City
Stopping at all the towns on the way until the train reaches Oklahoma City
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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.