Jaguar and the Thunderbird
Chuck Berry Lyrics


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Slow down, little Jaguar
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
There had a speed sign sitting at the top of the hill
It said : "35 miles, and stay in line"
But the Jaguar and Thunderbird never read the sign

Slow down, little Jaguar
Keep cool, little Thunderbird Ford

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"

Slow down, little Jaguar
Keep cool, little Thunderbird Ford

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

Slow down, little Jaguar
Keep cool, little Thunderbird Ford

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

Overall Meaning

Chuck Berry’s song "Jaguar and the Thunderbird" tells a story of a car race between two American muscle cars: a sky blue Jaguar and a Thunderbird Ford. The race takes place on a ten-mile stretch of an Indiana road. The Jaguar is speeding at 99 mph, trying to outrun the Thunderbird and cross the county line first. In the song, the lyrics are advised to slow down both the Jaguar and Thunderbird Ford to avoid potential harm.


However, the race is interrupted by the sheriff of Ludenville, a small town on the stretch of road. The sheriff had been tipped off about the racers and was hiding in the weeds, waiting to catch them. When he sees the two cars approaching, he jumps into his car and takes off after them. The racers were approaching the county line, but the Thunderbird Ford manages to cross it first, winning the race.


The song is a classic example of rock and roll storytelling, with a fast-paced beat that mirrors the race between the two cars. It also highlights the culture of drag racing in the 1950s and early 1960s, with car enthusiasts taking to the open road to test the limits of their vehicles.


Line by Line Meaning

Slow down, little Jaguar
Warning the driver of the Jaguar to reduce speed


Keep cool, little Thunderbird Ford
Encourage the driver of the Thunderbird to remain calm


Ten miles stretch on an Indiana road
Description of the setting of the story


T'was a sky blue Jaguar and a Thunderbird Ford
Introduction of the two cars involved in the story


Jaguar setting on ninety nine
The Jaguar was traveling at 99 miles per hour


Tryin' to beat the Bird to the county line
The Jaguar was attempting to reach the county line before the Thunderbird


Just a half-a-mile from Newtonville
The cars were close to the town of Newtonville


There had a speed sign sitting at the top of the hill
A speed sign was located at the top of the hill


It said : "35 miles, and stay in line"
The speed limit was 35 miles per hour


But the Jaguar and Thunderbird never read the sign
The drivers ignored the speed limit


Ludenville was a real small town
Description of Ludenville


Had a hundred and two
Ludenville's population was 102


And nine acres of ground
Ludenville was a small town


Some stool pigeon put the sheriff wise
Someone informed the sheriff about the speeding cars


Told him "Park down in Newtonville
The informant told the sheriff to park in Newtonville


And catch 'em guys"
The informant suggested the sheriff catch the speeding drivers


Sheriff laid down, half hid in the weeds
The sheriff hid in the grass to avoid being seen


Parked for eight days, didn't nobody speed
The sheriff waited for 8 days before anyone drove by speeding


All of a sudden, dust rose on the road
The sheriff saw dust rising as the cars approached


Said "Here come the Jaguar and Thunderbird Ford"
The sheriff identified the approaching cars


Sheriff doubled clutched second, put it in third
The sheriff shifted gears to pursue the speeding cars


Took right after the Jaguar and Thunderbird
The sheriff chased after the two cars


He knew he'd get a bonus and a big fat fine
The sheriff knew he would get a reward for catching the speeding drivers


If he caught 'em 'fore they crossed that county line
The sheriff hoped to catch the drivers before they crossed the county line


Sheriff never drove his car a hundred and flat
The sheriff had never driven his car at 100 miles per hour before


But if he aimed to get 'em
The sheriff was determined to catch the drivers


He'd have to do more than that
The sheriff had to drive faster than 100 miles per hour


Crest of the hill, he's about a mile behind
The sheriff was about a mile behind the speeding cars


There wasn't but two more miles to the county line
The drivers were close to the county line


Old Sheiff was countin' on the downward grade
The sheriff was relying on the downhill slope to catch up with the drivers


With the tall wind pushin', he had it made
The wind was helping the sheriff gain speed


Thunderbird saw the Jaguar gainin' speed
The driver of the Thunderbird saw the Jaguar was trying to speed up


And waved "Goodbye, Jaguar" and pulled in the lead
The driver of the Thunderbird was in the lead


Jaguar said "You ain't won the race yet"
The driver of the Jaguar refused to give up


And pulled back around the Bird like a sabre jet
The Jaguar passed the Thunderbird like a fighter jet


Sheriff's front bumper was a yard behind
The sheriff was close to catching up with the drivers


When the T-Bird, Jaguar crossed the line
The cars crossed the county line


Slow down little Jaguar
A repeat of the earlier warning to the Jaguar driver


Keep cool little Thunderbird Ford
A repeat of the earlier encouragement to the driver of the Thunderbird




Contributed by Aria C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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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.

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