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.
I Got to Find My Baby
Chuck Berry Lyrics
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From door to door
The love I crave
I can't find no more
I got to find my baby
I declare I wouldn't no lie
I ain't had no real good loving
You know I hate to see the sun
Hurry to the west
'Cause I know my whole life's
Will be one solid mess
I got to find my baby
I declare that ain't no lie
I ain't had no real good loving
Since that girl said goodbye
Yes, ever since the day
That she said we were through
I've been nervous
And shook up too
I got to find my baby
I declare I wouldn't no lie
I ain't had no real good loving
Since that girl said goodbye
Yes, I don't care if it's the last thing
I ever do in my life
I'm gonna find that little girl
Make her my wife
I got to find my baby
I declare I wouldn't no lie
I ain't had no real good loving
Since that girl said goodbye
In "I Got To Find My Baby," Chuck Berry sings about searching tirelessly for the love he lost. The song's lyrics detail his pain and frustration at being unable to find the woman he loved. He vows to search the town, knocking on every door, to find the "real good loving" he hasn't had since she left him. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation, with the singer saying he hates to see the sun because he knows his life is a mess without her. He even declares that he doesn't care if it's the last thing he does, he will find her and make her his wife.
The song's emotional intensity is amplified by the driving rhythm and catchy guitar hook that Chuck Berry is known for. The sense of urgency in the lyrics is echoed in the propulsive guitar riff, which underlines the singer's determination to find his lost love.
"I Got To Find My Baby" was released in 1957 as the B-side to Berry's hit single "School Day." The song is a classic example of the rock and roll sound that Berry pioneered, combining elements of blues, country, and R&B to create a sound that transformed popular music. The song's lyrics and Berry's performance capture the essence of rock and roll's early years, when the music was all about youthful energy, rebellion, and heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna search this town
I will look for my lost love in every corner of this town.
From door to door
I will not miss any house or establishment to find my baby.
The love I crave
I am desperate for the love I need.
I can't find no more
I have not been able to find the love I need, despite trying hard.
I got to find my baby
I am determined to find my lost love.
I declare I wouldn't no lie
I am speaking the truth.
I ain't had no real good loving
I have not had any significant romantic relationship.
Since that girl said goodbye
Ever since the girl left me.
You know I hate to see the sun
I do not like to wake up to a new day.
Hurry to the west
I am upset because the day will bring me more pain and I want it to be over with.
'Cause I know my whole life's
I am convinced that my life has been ruined.
Will be one solid mess
My life is a mess and will remain so.
Yes, ever since the day
It's been so since the day.
That she said we were through
That the girl and I broke up.
I've been nervous
I have been anxious and self-conscious.
And shook up too
I am disturbed and anxious.
Yes, I don't care if it's the last thing
I am willing to do anything to find her.
I ever do in my life
I will undertake everything possible to search for her.
I'm gonna find that little girl
I am determined to find my beloved.
Make her my wife
I want to marry her and have her be my spouse.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE F. CLAYTON
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.