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 Never Thought
Chuck Berry Lyrics
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'Cause I don't bother nobody and don't nobody bother me
I went down in Mississippi, I asked Mister Charlie about my roots
He said, "Turn around, bend over, boy, they're right here in my boots"
You know I never thought a thing like that would ever really come to be
'Cause I don't bother nobody and don't nobody bother me
I managed to walk away so glad it weren't twelve o'clock
You know I never thought a thing like that would ever really come to be
'Cause I don't bother nobody and don't nobody bother me
My girl friend's datin' this here guy who's goin' out with some man's wife
I lost my girl, the wife her husband, the guy he lost his life
You know I never thought a thing like that would ever really come to be
'Cause I don't bother nobody and don't nobody bother me
I used to have a Ford Torino and at that time I had a chick
She used to get her kicks just askin' me to flick my Bic
You know I never thought a thing like that would ever really come to be
'Cause I don't bother nobody and don't nobody bother me
My grandpa drove a horse and buggy but my father used the train
I worked and bought a Cadillac but my son, he drives a plane
You know I never thought a thing like that would ever really come to be
'Cause I don't bother nobody and don't nobody bother me
Chuck Berry's song "I Never Thought" is a commentary on the paradox of life where unexpected occurrences happen despite trying to lead a simple life. Berry sings of his heuristically distant attitude towards everyone and his inadvertent experiences with racism, police brutality, a love triangle, and societal progress. He begins the song by stating how he never thought some things would come to be since he does not bother anyone, and neither is he concerned with other people's business. This statement grapples with unpredictability, as life is full of surprises even for those who go with the flow.
The line "I went down in Mississippi, I asked Mister Charlie about my roots" delves into racism, which Berry encountered during his youth in the south. Mister Charlie, a white man, responds with a derogatory statement, insinuating that Berry's roots are in his boots just because he is black. The line illustrates the racial prejudice and stereotypes prevalent in the south during that time.
The song's final verse comments on progress, where Berry talks about the generational shift in modes of transportation from a horse and buggy, train, Cadillac, and a plane. The lines, "You know I never thought a thing like that would ever really come to be/'Cause I don't bother nobody and don't nobody bother me," showcase how Berry's aloof attitude has allowed societal changes to occur without affecting him.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I never really thought some things would ever really come to be
I never imagined that certain things were possible
'Cause I don't bother nobody and don't nobody bother me
I mind my own business and don't interfere with others
I went down in Mississippi, I asked Mister Charlie about my roots
I inquired about my ancestry from a man named Charlie in Mississippi
He said, 'Turn around, bend over, boy, they're right here in my boots'
He made a crude joke about my ancestry being in his boots
I asked a policeman the time, he swung and crowned me with his stock
I asked a cop for the time and he hit me with his baton
I managed to walk away so glad it weren't twelve o'clock
I was relieved that I wasn't arrested for asking a simple question
My girl friend's datin' this here guy who's goin' out with some man's wife
My girlfriend is seeing a man who is cheating on his own wife
I lost my girl, the wife her husband, the guy he lost his life
I lost my girlfriend, the cheating man lost his life, and his wife lost her husband
I used to have a Ford Torino and at that time I had a chick
I owned a Ford Torino and was seeing a woman at the time
She used to get her kicks just askin' me to flick my Bic
She got pleasure from asking me to light my lighter
My grandpa drove a horse and buggy but my father used the train
My grandfather used a horse and buggy as transportation, while my father used trains
I worked and bought a Cadillac but my son, he drives a plane
I earned money and bought a Cadillac, but my son is a pilot and flies planes
You know I never thought a thing like that would ever really come to be
I never expected these things to happen
'Cause I don't bother nobody and don't nobody bother me
I don't involve myself in other people's affairs
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.