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.
Johnny Be Goode
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood,
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B Goode
Who never ever learned to read or write so well,
But he could play a guitar just like a ringing a bell
Go Go
Go, Johnny, go, go
Go, Johnny, go, go
Go, Johnny, go, go
Johnny B Goode
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
Or sit beneath the tree by the railroad track
Oh, the engineers would see him sitting in the shade
Strumming with the rhythm that the drivers made
The people passing by, they would stop and say
Oh, my, but that little country boy could play
His mother told him, someday you will be a man
And you will be the leader of a big old band
Many people coming from miles around
To hear you play your music when the sun go down
Maybe someday your name will be in lights
Saying 'Johnny B Goode tonight
"Johnny Be Goode" is a classic rock and roll song by Chuck Berry. The song tells the story of a country boy named Johnny B Goode who lives in a log cabin in Louisiana. Johnny is musically talented, but he never learned how to read or write well. However, he can play the guitar like no other, and when he performs, people stop to listen. His mother tells him that he has the potential to be a great musician one day and lead a big band. As the song progresses, we learn that Johnny B Goode's music is becoming popular, and people are coming from miles away to see him perform. The song's driving rock beat and catchy guitar riffs have made it an all-time classic and have influenced generations of musicians.
One interesting fact about "Johnny Be Goode" is that it was originally written as a tribute to Johnnie Johnson, Chuck Berry's piano player. Another interesting fact is that the guitar riff in the song was based on a piano riff that Berry had written for a song that he never recorded. Additionally, "Johnny Be Goode" is one of the few rock and roll songs that has been included on NASA's Golden Record, which was intended to represent Earth to any extraterrestrial life forms that might find it. Other notable uses of the song have been in the movie "Back to the Future" and as the theme song for "The Simpsons".
Another interesting fact is that Berry was known for inserting a tongue-in-cheek reference to his African American heritage into some of his songs. In "Johnny Be Goode", he sings the line "that little colored boy could play", which was later changed to "country boy" for a live recording. The song has also been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles. Despite its popularity, Berry never had a number one hit in the United States until his song "My Ding-a-Ling" in 1972.
Chords (as played in the key of A):
Intro: A (x4), D (x4), A (x4), E (x2), A (x2)
Verse 1:
A
Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans
D
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens
A
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood
E
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode
Chorus:
A
Go, go, go Johnny go
D
Go, go, go Johnny go
A
Go, go, go Johnny go
E
Go, Johnny B. Goode
Verse 2:
A
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
D
Go sit beneath the tree by the railroad track
A
Oh, the engineers would see him sittin' in the shade
E
Strummin' with the rhythm that the drivers made
Chorus:
A
People passin' by would stop and say
D
"Oh my but that little country boy could play"
A
Go, go Johnny go, go
E
Johnny B. Goode
Verse 3:
A
His mother told him, "Someday you will be a man
D
And you will be the leader of a big old band
A
Many people comin' from miles around
E
To hear you play your music when the sun go down"
Chorus:
A
Maybe someday your name'll be in lights
D
Sayin', "Johnny B. Goode tonight"
A
Go, go Johnny go
E
Johnny B. Goode
Line by Line Meaning
Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans,
In the southern state of Louisiana, not far from the famous city of New Orleans,
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens
In a remote area in the forest full of tall trees,
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood,
In that area there was a simple and rustic house made from natural resources like soil and trees,
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B Goode
A young man who grew up in the countryside and called himself Johnny B Goode lived in that log cabin,
Who never ever learned to read or write so well,
Despite having limited literacy skills,
But he could play a guitar just like a ringing a bell
He had exceptional guitar-playing ability that sounded like a bell ringing,
Go Go
An exclamation to encourage Johnny to play his music,
Go, Johnny, go, go
Repeated encouragement for Johnny to play his music,
Go, Johnny, go, go
More encouragement for Johnny to play his music,
Go, Johnny, go, go
Even more encouragement for Johnny to play his music,
Go, Johnny, go, go
One last time, encouragement for Johnny to play his music,
Johnny B Goode
The title of the song, Johnny's name with a catchy rhyme to remember him by,
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
Johnny would transport his guitar in a large, rough, woven bag,
Or sit beneath the tree by the railroad track
Alternatively, he would sit under a tree near the train tracks,
Oh, the engineers would see him sitting in the shade
The people driving the trains would notice Johnny relaxing under the trees,
Strumming with the rhythm that the drivers made
He would play his guitar in time with the sound created by the train as it passed by,
The people passing by, they would stop and say
Curious onlookers would pause to hear Johnny's music and would comment,
Oh, my, but that little country boy could play
Expressing amazement and admiration for Johnny's musical talent and humble village origins,
His mother told him, someday you will be a man
Johnny's mother believed that someday her son would grow up and become a mature adult,
And you will be the leader of a big old band
She had big hopes for Johnny, that he would go on to be a leader of a large and successful music group,
Many people coming from miles around
People from far away would travel long distances to watch Johnny perform his music,
To hear you play your music when the sun go down
They would come to listen to Johnny's music especially when the sun is setting,
Maybe someday your name will be in lights
A romantic and ambitious vision for Johnny's future was having his name illuminated in bright lights,
Saying 'Johnny B Goode tonight
Announcing his name to the world as the talented musician he was on his stage performance that night,
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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.