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.
Jaguar & Thunderbird
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep cool, little Thunderbird Ford
Ten miles stretch on an Indiana road
T'was a sky blue Jaguar and a Thunderbird Ford
Jaguar setting on ninety nine
Tryin' to beat the Bird to the county line
Just a half-a-mile from Newtonville
It said : "35 miles, and stay in line"
But the Jaguar and Thunderbird never read the sign
Chorus
Ludenville was a real small town
Had a hundred and two
And nine acres of ground
Some stool pigeon put the sheriff wise
Told him "Park down in Newtonville
And catch 'em guys"
Sheriff laid down, half hid in the weeds
Parked for eight days, didn't nobody speed
All of a sudden, dust rose on the road
Said "Here come the Jaguar and Thunderbird Ford"
Chorus
Sheriff doubled clutched second, put it in third
Took right after the Jaguar and Thunderbird
He knew he'd get a bonus and a big fat fine
If he caught 'em 'fore they crossed that county line
Sheriff never drove his car a hundred and flat
But if he aimed to get 'em
He'd have to do more than that
Crest of the hill, he's about a mile behind
There wasn't but two mor miles to the county line
Chorus
Old Sheiff was countin' on the downward grade
With the tall wind pushin', he had it made
Thunderbird saw the Jaguar gainin' speed
And waved "Goodbye, Jaguar" and pulled in the lead
Jaguar said "You ain't won the race yet"
And pulled back around the Bird like a sabre jet
Sheriff's front bumper was a yard behind
When the T-Bird, Jaguar crossed the line
Slow down little Jaguar,
Keep cool little Thunderbird Ford
(repeat and fade)
The Chuck Berry song "Jaguar and Thunderbird" is a classic rock and roll track with a storyline that revolves around racing and law enforcement. The song's chorus, "Slow down, little Jaguar, keep cool, little Thunderbird Ford," serves as a warning to the two cars mentioned in the song. The lyrics tell the story of a race between a sky blue Jaguar and a Thunderbird Ford on an Indiana road, with the Jaguar trying to beat the Thunderbird to the county line. The Jaguar is driving at 99 miles per hour, while the Thunderbird is slightly behind.
The story takes a twist when a stool pigeon informs the sheriff, who parks down in Newtonville for eight days, waiting to catch the two racing cars. When he spots the two cars, he takes off after them, hoping to catch them before they cross the county line. However, the Thunderbird Ford outsmarts the Jaguar and ends up crossing the line first, leaving the sheriff's car a yard behind. The song ends with a caution to the Jaguar to "slow down" and the Thunderbird to "keep cool."
Line by Line Meaning
Slow down, little Jaguar
Advise to the Jaguar driver to slow down
Keep cool, little Thunderbird Ford
Advice to Thunderbird driver to be patient and calm
Ten miles stretch on an Indiana road
Description of the location where the story is taking place
T'was a sky blue Jaguar and a Thunderbird Ford
Introduction of the two cars that the story is about
Jaguar setting on ninety nine
The Jaguar was traveling at ninety-nine miles per hour
Tryin' to beat the Bird to the county line
The Jaguar was trying to get to the county line before the Thunderbird
Just a half-a-mile from Newtonville
The location where the speed sign was present
There had a speed sign sitting at the top of the hill
A sign warning drivers to keep their speed limited to 35 miles per hour
It said : "35 miles, and stay in line"
The message displayed on the speed sign
But the Jaguar and Thunderbird never read the sign
Both the drivers ignored the speed sign
Ludenville was a real small town
The name of the small town that the drivers were approaching
Had a hundred and two
Population count of Ludenville
And nine acres of ground
The area covered by Ludenville
Some stool pigeon put the sheriff wise
Someone tipped off the sheriff
Told him "Park down in Newtonville And catch 'em guys"
The tip-off to the sheriff about the speeding cars
Sheriff laid down, half hid in the weeds
The sheriff waited in hiding to catch the speeding cars
Parked for eight days, didn't nobody speed
For eight days, no cars violated the speed limit in that location
All of a sudden, dust rose on the road
Indicates that the two cars were approaching
Said "Here come the Jaguar and Thunderbird Ford"
The sheriff's reaction upon seeing the two speeding cars approaching
Sheriff doubled clutched second, put it in third
The gear change carried out by the sheriff to catch up with the speeding cars
Took right after the Jaguar and Thunderbird
The sheriff chased the speeding cars
He knew he'd get a bonus and a big fat fine
The motivation for the sheriff to catch the speeding cars
If he caught 'em 'fore they crossed that county line
The sheriff's aim was to catch the cars before they crossed the county line
Sheriff never drove his car a hundred and flat
The sheriff's car was not capable of reaching 100 miles per hour
But if he aimed to get 'em He'd have to do more than that
The sheriff would have to drive faster than 100 miles per hour to catch the speeding cars
Crest of the hill, he's about a mile behind
The sheriff was a mile behind the speeding cars
There wasn't but two mor miles to the county line
The distance remaining for the speeding cars to reach the county line
Old Sheiff was countin' on the downward grade
The sheriff was banking on the downhill slope to gain speed and catch the cars
With the tall wind pushin', he had it made
The favorable wind conditions were assisting the sheriff in his chase
Thunderbird saw the Jaguar gainin' speed
The Thunderbird driver noticed the Jaguar start to gain speed
And waved "Goodbye, Jaguar" and pulled in the lead
The Thunderbird driver taunted the Jaguar driver while overtaking him
Jaguar said "You ain't won the race yet"
The Jaguar driver tried to fight back and not accept defeat
And pulled back around the Bird like a sabre jet
The Jaguar driver overtook the Thunderbird again
Sheriff's front bumper was a yard behind
The sheriff was very close to the speeding cars
When the T-Bird, Jaguar crossed the line
The two cars crossed the county line at the same time
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.