Run Joe
Chuck Berry Lyrics


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Mo and Joe had a candy store
Tellin' fortune behind a door
Cops grabbed Mo and as Joe ran out
Brother Mo then began to shout

Run Joe, eh de police at de door
Run Joe and he won't let me go
Run Joe, run as fast as you can
Run Joe de police holdin' me han'

Ask Juanita to stand me bail
Don't want to sleep in this rotten jail
Hide de crystal ball by de fence
So dey won't find no evidence

When you reach home get in de bed
Call a doctor and tie your head
Tell Juanita invent a lie
Got to have a good alibi

Run Joe, eh de police at de door
Run Joe and he won't let me go
Run Joe, run as fast as you can
Run Joe de police holdin' me han'

Go get a mouthpiece to talk for me
Oh, they'll sure give me de third degree
When dey take me before de sarge
I am going to deny de charge

If de judge ask me how I plead
Not guilty sir, most decidedly
You can see judge at a glance
I'm a victim of circumstance

Run Joe, eh de police at de door
Run Joe and he won't let me go
Run Joe, run as fast as you can
Run Joe de police holdin' me han'

Me mommy told me not long ago
Boy keep away from that no good Joe
If I do like me momma say
I wouldn't be in this trouble today

I'll be home by de break of day
If de judge believe what I say
And if he don't I'll be lookin' cute
Behind de bars in me striped suit

Run Joe, eh de police at de door
Run Joe and he won't let me go
Run Joe, run as fast as you can
Run Joe de police holdin' me han'

Run Joe
Run Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe




Run Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe
Run Joe

Overall Meaning

Chuck Berry's song "Run Joe" follows the story of two friends, Mo and Joe, who run a candy store and use it as a front to tell fortunes. The police eventually catch Mo and Joe escapes, and Mo yells at Joe to run away. The rest of the song focuses on Joe's efforts to avoid capture by enlisting bail, hiding evidence, and concocting a good alibi. The lyrics highlight Joe's attempts to avoid jail time by negotiating and manipulating the justice system. The story of Mo and Joe ultimately serves as a cautionary tale, as Joe's decision to get mixed up with Mo leads to trouble and potential incarceration.


One interesting fact about "Run Joe" is that it features the Bo Diddley beat, a signature rhythm made popular by Bo Diddley in the late 1950s. Another interesting fact is that Chuck Berry had a longstanding reputation as one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century, and his songs inspired numerous musicians in a variety of genres, including rock, jazz, and country. "Run Joe" was released in 1960 and was one of Berry's earliest recordings. The song was relatively popular at the time and was played on both R&B and rock radio stations.


Other interesting facts about "Run Joe" include that it was covered by several musicians, including Louis Jordan, who covered it in the mid-1960s, and Harry Belafonte, who performed it live in various concerts. It is also notable that the song features a spoken-word section in which the main character, Joe, speaks to his fellow characters. Additionally, "Run Joe" follows a narrative structure that is common in many blues and R&B songs, emphasizing storytelling and character development over simple verse-chorus-verse structure.


As for the chords for "Run Joe," the song is typically played in the key of G and features a relatively simple chord progression of G-C-D, which alternates between a verse and chorus section throughout the song. The Bo Diddley beat featured prominently in the song is also fairly simple, with a basic rock and roll rhythm that emphasizes the snare drum and bass drum in a syncopated pattern.


Line by Line Meaning

Mo and Joe had a candy store
Mo and Joe owned a candy store together.


Tellin' fortune behind a door
They provided fortune telling services to people.


Cops grabbed Mo and as Joe ran out
The police arrested Mo while Joe made a run for it.


Brother Mo then began to shout
Mo shouted after Joe to warn him about the police.


Run Joe, eh de police at de door
Joe, run away! The police are at the door!


Run Joe and he won't let me go
They won't let me go if they catch me.


Run Joe, run as fast as you can
Run as fast as you can to get away from the police.


Run Joe de police holdin' me han'
The police have caught me and won't let go of my hand.


Ask Juanita to stand me bail
Ask Juanita to help bail me out of jail.


Don't want to sleep in this rotten jail
I don't want to spend the night in this dirty jail.


Hide de crystal ball by de fence
Hide the fortune-telling equipment so the police won't find it.


So dey won't find no evidence
So they won't have any evidence against me in court.


When you reach home get in de bed
When you get home, go to bed.


Call a doctor and tie your head
Call a doctor to make something up and cover for me.


Tell Juanita invent a lie
Tell Juanita to come up with a fake alibi for me.


Got to have a good alibi
I need a convincing alibi to prove my innocence.


Go get a mouthpiece to talk for me
Get a lawyer to speak for me in court.


Oh, they'll sure give me de third degree
The police will question me severely.


When dey take me before de sarge
When they take me to the sergeant for questioning.


I am going to deny de charge
I will deny the charges against me and plead not guilty.


If de judge ask me how I plead
If the judge asks me to enter a plea.


Not guilty sir, most decidedly
I plead not guilty, Your Honor.


You can see judge at a glance
It's clear to see that I'm innocent.


I'm a victim of circumstance
I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it's not my fault.


Me mommy told me not long ago
My mother warned me not to hang out with Joe.


Boy keep away from that no good Joe
Stay away from Joe because he's bad news.


If I do like me momma say
If I had listened to my mother's advice.


I wouldn't be in this trouble today
I wouldn't be in this situation if I had stayed away from Joe.


I'll be home by de break of day
I expect to be released from custody soon and be home by morning.


If de judge believe what I say
If the judge believes my story.


And if he don't I'll be lookin' cute
If the judge does not believe me, I will be in trouble.


Behind de bars in me striped suit
I will be in jail wearing a striped prison uniform.


Run Joe
The song's chorus, reminding Joe to run away from the police.


Run Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe
Repeating the chorus to emphasize the sense of urgency in the situation.




Contributed by Alex D. 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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