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.
No Money Down
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back in town
I saw a Cadillac sign
Sayin' "No Money Down"
So I eased on my brakes
And I pulled in the drive
Gunned my motor twice
Then I walked inside
Said "Trade in you Ford
And I'll put you in a car
That'll eat up the road
Just tell me what you want
And then sign on that line
And I'll have it brought down to you
In a hour's time"
I'm gonna get me a car
And I'll be headed on down the road
Then I won't have to worry
About that broken down, raggedy Ford
Well Mister I want a yellow convertible
Four door de Ville
With a Continental spare
And a wide chrome wheel
I want power steering
And power brakes
I want a powerful motor
With a jet off take
I want air condition
I want automatic heat
And I want a full Murphy bed
In my back seat
I want short wave radio
I want TV and a phone
You know I gotta talk to my baby
When I'm ridin' alone"
Yes I'm gonna get that car
And I'm gonna head on down the road
Yeah, then I won't have to worry
About that broken down, raggedy Ford
I want four carburetors
And two straight exhausts
I'm burnin' aviation fuel
No matter what the cost
I want railroad air horns
And a military spark
And I want a five year guarantee
On everything I got
I want ten dollar deductible
I want twenty dollar notes
I want thirty thousand liability
That's all she wrote
I got me a car
And I'm headed on down the road
No money down
I don't have to worry
About that broken down, raggedy Ford
Chuck Berry's No Money Down is a song describing a man's desire for a better car. The song opens with the singer spotting a Cadillac sign advertising "No Money Down" while he is "motivatin' back in town". He pulls over and goes into the dealership, where the dealer persuades him to trade in his Ford for a yellow convertible Cadillac Coupe de Ville with a Continental spare, wide chrome wheels, power steering, power brakes, and a powerful motor with jet off take. He even wants air conditioning, automatic heat, a full Murphy bed in the back seat, and a shortwave radio, TV, and phone. He's also asking for four carburetors, two straight exhausts, railroad air horns, and a military spark, and he's burning aviation fuel, regardless of the cost. He finishes off by asking for a five-year warranty and $10 deductible, $20 notes, and $30,000 liability insurance.
On one hand, the song comes off as a simple and upbeat celebration of automobile culture, in which acquiring the perfect car can signify freedom and self-expression. On the other hand, the song is also a biting critique of American consumer culture and the seductive power of advertising, as the singer falls prey to the dealer's sales pitch and the lure of immediate gratification. The song can be seen as an ironic commentary on the way in which Americans are encouraged to identify their self-worth with their possessions and the excesses that come with this mentality.
Line by Line Meaning
As I was motivatin'
Back in town
While driving around
I saw a Cadillac sign
Sayin' "No Money Down"
Saw an ad for a Cadillac with no upfront payment
So I eased on my brakes
And I pulled in the drive
Gunned my motor twice
Then I walked inside
Parked in the dealership lot, revved the car engine and entered the building
Dealer came to me
Said "Trade in you Ford
And I'll put you in a car
That'll eat up the road
Just tell me what you want
And then sign on that line
And I'll have it brought down to you
In a hour's time"
Salesman offered to trade the old car for a new one with better performance in a financing plan, and promised to deliver the vehicle within an hour
Well Mister I want a yellow convertible
Four door de Ville
With a Continental spare
And a wide chrome wheel
I want power steering
And power brakes
Asserting the desired car color in addition to the features like convertible roof, extra wheel, and advanced steering and brakes
I want a powerful motor
With a jet off take
Requested a high-performance, oversized engine
I want air condition
I want automatic heat
And I want a full Murphy bed
In my back seat
I want short wave radio
I want TV and a phone
You know I gotta talk to my baby
When I'm ridin' alone"
Asked for air conditioning, seat warmer, and bed in the back seat, and technological features like radio, TV, and phone to stay connected with his love while on a solo ride
I want four carburetors
And two straight exhausts
I'm burnin' aviation fuel
No matter what the cost
I want railroad air horns
And a military spark
And I want a five year guarantee
On everything I got
I want ten dollar deductible
I want twenty dollar notes
I want thirty thousand liability
That's all she wrote
Wanted top-of-the-line equipment including four carburetors and two straight exhausts, as well as military-grade sparkplug and railroad-grade horns. Insisted on insurance terms and guarantees for all components and assets relating to the purchase
I got me a car
And I'm headed on down the road
No money down
I don't have to worry
About that broken down, raggedy Ford
Bought an ideal car without upfront payment, relieved from the trouble of the old car
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: CHUCK BERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bryanqquenayasurco5227
De los mejor💪💎
@VladimirSanchez007
Very good blues..
@kingslandhome
A great song.
@classicmoodexp
@alain59200
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