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.
Dear Dad
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What I'm asking for
Is by the next semester
Can I get another car ?
This one here is sick'ning
On a wide dual road.
I might as well be walking
As to drive this old Ford.
Almost everytime I try
To go and pass a truck,
If I ain't goin' down hill,
Dad, I'm, out of luck.
And even if I get by,
It's still a rugged risk,
The way this old Ford
Keep a hitting and a miss.
Last week when I was driving
On my way to school,
I almost got a ticket
'Bout a freeway traffic rule.
It's now a violation
Driving under forty-five,
And if I push to fifty,
This here Ford will nosedive.
Dad, I'm in great danger
Out here trying to drive.
The way this Ford wiggles
When I'm approaching forty-five/
I have to nurse it along
Like a little stubborn pup,
And cars whizzing by me,
Dad, look like I'm backing up.
She just don't have the appetite
For gas somehow,
And Dad, I got four carburetors
Hooked up on it now.
I tried to hook another
To see if I'd do a little good,
But ain't no place to put it
'Less I perforate the hood.
Well Dad, send the money,
See what I can see,
Try to find a Cadillac,
A Sixty-two or three.
Just something that won't worry us
To keep it on the road.
Sincerely, your beloved son,
Henry Junior Ford
In Chuck Berry's song "Dear Dad," the singer, Henry Junior Ford, desperately wants a new car. He explains that his current car, an old Ford, is unreliable and dangerous to drive. He even reveals that he was almost ticketed for violating a traffic rule because of how slow the car was going. The car can barely handle speeds over 45 miles per hour, which makes it difficult for the singer to keep up with traffic. He pleads with his father to send him money to buy a new, more reliable car, specifically a Cadillac from the 1960s.
The song is a reflection of the freedom and independence that having a car represents. It shows how important having a reliable means of transportation can be, especially for young people trying to navigate the world on their own. The singer's frustration with his current car represents the challenges that often come with growing up and becoming more independent. The desperation in his voice highlights the importance of having a support system, in this case, his father, to help him through these struggles.
Overall, "Dear Dad" is a relatable story that many people can identify with. From the frustration of dealing with unreliable transportation to the desire for something better and more reliable, the song speaks to universal themes of hardship and perseverance. Through it all, however, the singer remains hopeful, confident that his father will come through for him and help him get back on track.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear Dad, don't get mad,
I hope this letter does not disappoint you, father.
What I'm asking for
I am requesting for something meaningful.
Is by the next semester
I would like this thing to happen in a timely manner.
Can I get another car ?
May I have a new car, please?
This one here is sick'ning
This current car is unsatisfactory.
On a wide dual road.
Even on a broad road, the car fails to impress me.
I might as well be walking
It feels like walking and driving are the same in this car.
As to drive this old Ford.
Driving this old Ford has become unbearable.
Almost everytime I try
Every time without fail.
To go and pass a truck,
To overtake a truck.
If I ain't goin' down hill,
If I am not going down a slope,
Dad, I'm, out of luck.
I am out of luck and things are not going well.
And even if I get by,
Even if I manage to pass the truck,
It's still a rugged risk,
It still comes with its complications.
The way this old Ford
This old Ford car.
Keep a hitting and a miss.
Has a tendency to struggle with performance and stalling.
Last week when I was driving
Just the other day when I was on the road,
On my way to school,
Heading to my school.
I almost got a ticket
I was nearly ticketed by the police,
'Bout a freeway traffic rule.
Due to a freeway traffic rule.
It's now a violation
It's considered breaching the law.
Driving under forty-five,
Driving under the speed of forty-five miles per hour.
And if I push to fifty,
And if I go over fifty miles per hour,
This here Ford will nosedive.
This Ford will lose control and fail to operate safely.
Dad, I'm in great danger
Father, I am in significant trouble and danger.
Out here trying to drive.
While driving my car out here on the road.
The way this Ford wiggles
This Ford struggles and wobbles.
When I'm approaching forty-five/
When I'm almost at the speed of forty-five miles per hour.
I have to nurse it along
I have to treat it carefully.
Like a little stubborn pup,
Like a small and stubborn dog.
And cars whizzing by me,
Cars passing by me.
Dad, look like I'm backing up.
Father, it seems like I am going backwards.
She just don't have the appetite
This car does not have the capacity.
For gas somehow,
To consume enough gas to fulfill my needs.
And Dad, I got four carburetors
Father, I have installed four carburetors into the car.
Hooked up on it now.
They are now connected to the vehicle.
I tried to hook another
I attempted to connect one more.
To see if I'd do a little good,
To ascertain if it would assist me in some way,
But ain't no place to put it
However, there is no location for installation,
'Less I perforate the hood.
Unless I destroy the hood of the car.
Well Dad, send the money,
Well father, send me some money.
See what I can see,
Allow me to see what I can do with the money.
Try to find a Cadillac,
Attempt to find a Cadillac car,
A Sixty-two or three.
Possibly a 1962 or 1963 model.
Just something that won't worry us
Merely something that will keep us from worrying.
To keep it on the road.
To keep the car on the road and roadworthy.
Sincerely, your beloved son,
Sincerely, your dear son,
Henry Junior Ford
Henry Junior Ford.
Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: CHUCK BERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sandro Sanna
Dear Dad, don't get mad,
What I'm asking for
Is by the next semester
Can I get another car ?
This one here is sick'ning
On a wide dual road.
I might as well be walking
As to drive this old Ford.
Almost everytime I try
To go and pass a truck,
If I ain't goin' down hill,
Dad, I'm, out of luck.
And even if I get by,
It's still a rugged risk,
The way this old Ford
Keep a hitting and a miss.
Last week when I was driving
On my way to school,
I almost got a ticket
'Bout a freeway traffic rule.
It's now a violation
Driving under forty-five,
And if I push to fifty,
This here Ford will nosedive.
Dad, I'm in great danger
Out here trying to drive.
The way this Ford wiggles
When I'm approaching forty-five/
I have to nurse it along
Like a little stubborn pup,
And cars whizzing by me,
Dad, look like I'm backing up.
She just don't have the appetite
For gas somehow,
And Dad, I got four carburetors
Hooked up on it now.
I tried to hook another
To see if I'd do a little good,
But ain't no place to put it
'Less I perforate the hood.
Well Dad, send the money,
See what I can see,
Try to find a Cadillac,
A Sixty-two or three.
Just something that won't worry us
To keep it on the road.
Sincerely, your beloved son,
Henry Junior Ford
catirerubio
At the time this minor masterpiece was a "throwaway" that barley hit the airwaves. One of Chuck's best.
Richard Trepsas
catirerubio Barley hit the airwaves: I’ll drink a beer to that!
Robert Walton
I love how tight the drumming is on this. Classic rock and roll.
doodad1
RIP Chuck, thanks for the great music.... This is one of my favorite Berry gems!
Tattyshoes Shigure
An absolute gem... a hidden one for me until Dave Edmunds recorded it. Just brilliant lyrics... Chuck really was a genius song writer, and so prolific.
JoltedLozengeK
This is such an obscure song of Chuck’s, but it’s so darn good! It’s made me buy the ‘Chuck Berry in London’ Vinyl. And hey, I’m only 18!
Joe Daniels
I had a little rock band in t'he mid 60's...we played a lot Chucks stuff....including thias one and. "Slow down little jaguar, keep cool little Thunderbird ford'
Don Buck
Dave Edmonds did a great cover
JoltedLozengeK
Jarski J. Hey man, that’s so good! I wish him well. And I’m glad you liked my comment, I thought it might give some hope to people who think kids nowadays don’t like any of this type of music in case they were scrolling through these comments. I can’t get enough of chuck!
Jarski J.
Hi JoltedLozengeK. My son is couple years older than you and he's into doo-wop and 60's instrumentals like The Ventures and The Shadows, plays guitar and keyboards too... You make my day with your comment, keep it going and rockin!