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.
Down Bound Train
Chuck Berry Lyrics
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Had drank so much he could drink no more
And so he fell asleep with a troubled brain
To dream that he rode on that down bound train
The engine with blood was sweaty and damp
And brilliantly lit with a brimstone lamp
And imps for fuel was shovelling bones
The boiler was filled with lots of beer
The devil himself was the engineer
The passengers were most a motley crew
Some were foreigners and others he knew
Rich men and lost beggars in rags
Handsome young ladies and wicked old hags
As the train rushed on at a terrible pace
Sulfuric fumes scorched their hands and face
Wider and wider the country grew
Faster and faster the engine flew
Louder and louder the thunder crashed
Brighter and brighter the lighting flashed
Hotter and hotter the air became
Til' their clothes were burned with each quivering refrain
Then out of the din there came a yell
Ha ha, said the devil we're nearing home
Oh, how the passengers shrieked with pain
They go to Satan with this down bound train
The stranger awoke with an anguished cry
His clothes wet with sweat and his hair standing high
He fell on his knees on the bar room floor
And prayed a prayer like never before
And the prayers and vows were not in vain
For he never rode that down bound train
Chuck Berry's song "Down Bound Train" tells the story of a man who falls asleep on a bar room floor after drinking too much. In his dream, he rides on a train that is headed to hell. The train is driven by the devil and it is carrying a motley group of passengers consisting of rich men, lost beggars in rags, handsome young ladies, wicked old hags, and foreigners. The train rushes on at a terrible pace as sulfuric fumes scorched their hands and faces. The air gets hotter and hotter until their clothes were burned with each quivering refrain. As the train nears its destination, the devil yells out with delight, and the passengers realize they are headed to Satan with this down bound train.
The song uses vivid and haunting metaphors to describe the journey to hell. The "imps" who fuel the train shovel bones instead of coal, and the engine is lit with a "brimstone lamp." The "boiler" is filled with beer, and the devil himself is the engineer, pointing to the fact that the journey to hell is fueled by vice.
The song's lyrics paint a picture of a nightmarish journey to a place no one wants to go. It serves as a warning against the dangers of excess and vice, encouraging listeners to choose the path of righteousness and goodness.
Line by Line Meaning
A stranger lying on a bar room floor
A man was found lying on the floor of a bar
Had drank so much he could drink no more
He had consumed an excessive amount of alcohol
And so he fell asleep with a troubled brain
He slept uneasily with his thoughts in disarray
To dream that he rode on that down bound train
He had a nightmare of being on a train going to hell
The engine with blood was sweaty and damp
The train's engine was hot and moist with sweat and blood
And brilliantly lit with a brimstone lamp
It was illuminated with a bright light that glowed like sulfur
And imps for fuel was shovelling bones
The train was powered by skeletal demons
While the furnace rang with a thousand groans
The furnace made a deafening sound with the agony of the damned
The boiler was filled with lots of beer
The boiler was full of beer, which added to the heat
The devil himself was the engineer
Satan was in control, driving the train to hell
The passengers were most a motley crew
The passengers were a diverse group of people
Some were foreigners and others he knew
There were both familiar and unfamiliar faces among the passengers
Rich men and lost beggars in rags
Both wealthy and poor were on the train
Handsome young ladies and wicked old hags
Both beautiful and ugly women were present
As the train rushed on at a terrible pace
The train moved at a frighteningly fast speed
Sulfuric fumes scorched their hands and face
The sulfuric fumes from the train burnt their skin
Wider and wider the country grew
The landscape became increasingly expansive
Faster and faster the engine flew
The train accelerated at an alarming speed
Louder and louder the thunder crashed
Thunderous noises filled their ears
Brighter and brighter the lighting flashed
The lightning illuminated the train and its passengers
Hotter and hotter the air became
The air temperature continued to rise
Til' their clothes were burned with each quivering refrain
Their clothing was on fire and shaking as they travelled
Then out of the din there came a yell
Suddenly, a loud cry could be heard among the noise
Ha ha, said the devil we're nearing home
Satan announced that they were approaching their destination
Oh, how the passengers shrieked with pain
The passengers screamed in agony and fear
They go to Satan with this down bound train
They were being taken to hell on the train
The stranger awoke with an anguished cry
The man woke up with a loud and pained scream
His clothes wet with sweat and his hair standing high
He was soaked with sweat and his hair stood on end
He fell on his knees on the bar room floor
He dropped to his knees on the floor of the bar
And prayed a prayer like never before
He fervently prayed like he had never done before
And the prayers and vows were not in vain
His prayers and promises were answered and fulfilled
For he never rode that down bound train
He was saved from going to hell on the train
Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
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.