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.
If I Were
Chuck Berry Lyrics
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Ev'ry time you cucko-cooed I would double tick another tick tock
I'd double my swing ev'ry time you'd sing we'd make good time with each other
Oh, but that would be just so much fun cooin' and swingin' together
If I were a little bitty boy and I had just a little bit o' credit
I would make a loan for an ice cream cone and I'd go right away and get it
You would lick a little and I would lick a little, we surely could lick with each other
And if I were a little honey bee and you were a little butterfly
I would be waiting at the garden gate until you came fluttering by
Maybe you'd stop on a red rose top and then we could talk to each other
Oh, but we cou'd flutter up so much fun being in the garden together
But I'm just an ordinary guy and I love all the things you do
You seem such a talented, beautiful girl and I'm afraid to even talk to you
If I were as bold like some guys, hearin' them talk to each other
I'd come over and ask you if we could go out together
But if you were a Mercedes-Benz, I'd have to be a Fleetwood Brougham
And ev'ry time I saw you rollin' on the freeway I think I'd have to follow you home
You could let me lodge in your double garage, bumper to bumper out of the weather
Nobody home but the Benz and the Brougham, really rarin' to roll off together
In this song, Chuck Berry uses various scenarios to express his desire to be with a woman he admires. He starts by saying that if he were a pendulum, he would swing every time she sings, and they would make good time together. He then moves on to a little boy who wants an ice cream cone and wishes to share it with her, and a honey bee who waits for a butterfly to come so they can talk in the garden together. These scenarios are metaphors for his desire to spend time with her and enjoy life's simple pleasures together. Finally, he confesses that he is just an ordinary guy who is afraid to talk to her, but if she were a Mercedes-Benz, he would follow her home and try to get closer to her.
Line by Line Meaning
If I were a pendulum swing and you were the bird in the cuckoo clock
If I were a pendulum swing and you were the bird in the cuckoo clock, I'd swing twice for every tick of the clock bird.
Ev'ry time you cucko-cooed I would double tick another tick tock
Each time you cucko-cooed, I'd swing twice more and our timing would be perfect together.
I'd double my swing ev'ry time you'd sing we'd make good time with each other
I'd swing twice as hard whenever you sang, and our swinging would be in great harmony.
Oh, but that would be just so much fun cooin' and swingin' together
But that would be so much fun, cuddling and swinging together.
If I were a little bitty boy and I had just a little bit o' credit
If I were a little boy with just a bit of money,
I would make a loan for an ice cream cone and I'd go right away and get it
I'd borrow some and get us an ice cream cone,
You would lick a little and I would lick a little, we surely could lick with each other
We could share the yummy cone and enjoy our time together.
Oh, but that would be just so much fun, eating it all together
Oh, but that would be so much fun, enjoying the ice cream together.
And if I were a little honey bee and you were a little butterfly
If I were a little bee and you were a little butterfly,
I would be waiting at the garden gate until you came fluttering by
I'd wait at the garden gate until you fluttered by.
Maybe you'd stop on a red rose top and then we could talk to each other
Maybe you'd stop on a red rose and we could have a chat.
Oh, but we cou'd flutter up so much fun being in the garden together
Oh, but we could flutter around together and enjoy the garden.
But I'm just an ordinary guy and I love all the things you do
But I'm just a regular guy who loves everything about you.
You seem such a talented, beautiful girl and I'm afraid to even talk to you
You seem so talented and beautiful, and I'm scared to talk to you.
If I were as bold like some guys, hearin' them talk to each other
If I were as bold as some guys who talk to each other,
I'd come over and ask you if we could go out together
I'd ask you out without hesitation.
But if you were a Mercedes-Benz, I'd have to be a Fleetwood Brougham
But if you were a Mercedes-Benz, I'd have to be a Fleetwood Brougham.
And ev'ry time I saw you rollin' on the freeway I think I'd have to follow you home
Every time I saw you driving on the freeway, I'd have to follow you home.
You could let me lodge in your double garage, bumper to bumper out of the weather
You could let me park next to you in your garage, protected from the weather.
Nobody home but the Benz and the Brougham, really rarin' to roll off together
Nobody home but us and our cars, ready to go wherever we want.
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.