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.
Sweet little six
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In Pittsburgh, PA
Deep in the heart of Texas
And 'round the 'Frisco Bay
All over St. Louis
And down in New Orleans
All the cats wanna dance with
Sweet Little Sixteen
Sweet Little Sixteen
She's just got to have
About half a million
Famed autographs
Her wallet filled with pictures
She gets 'em one by one
Becomes so excited
Watch her, look at her run, boy
Oh, mommy, mommy
Please, may I go?
It's such a sight to see
Somebody steal the show
Oh, daddy, daddy
I beg of you
Whisper to mommy
It's all right with you
'Cause they'll be rockin' on Bandstand
In Philadelphia, PA
Deep in the heart of Texas
And 'round the 'Frisco Bay
All over St. Louis
Way down in New Orleans
All the cats wanna dance with
Sweet Little Sixteen
'Cause they'll be rockin' on Bandstand
Philadelphia, PA
Deep in the heart of Texas
And 'round the 'Frisco Bay
All over St. Louis
Way down in New Orleans
All the cats wanna dance with, ooh
Sweet Little Sixteen
Sweet Little Sixteen
She's got the grown up blues
Tight dresses and lipstick
She's sportin' high heel shoes
Oh, but tomorrow morning
She'll have to change her trend
And be sweet sixteen
And back in class again
But they'll be rockin' in Boston
Pittsburgh, PA
Deep in the heart of Texas
And 'round the 'Frisco Bay
Way out in St. Louis
Way down in New Orleans
All the cats wanna dance with
Sweet Little Sixteen
The lyrics to Chuck Berry's song Sweet Little Sixteen tell the story of a teenage girl who is adored by everyone she meets. The song is a celebration of rock and roll, as it describes people all over the country enjoying the same music and wanting to dance with the same girl. The first verse mentions cities such as Boston, Pittsburgh, Texas, San Francisco, St. Louis, and New Orleans, all of which have different cultures and styles, but all of whom love rock and roll and want to dance with Sweet Little Sixteen.
The second verse describes the girl herself, who collects autographs and pictures and loves to dance. She begs her parents to let her go to the shows and steal the spotlight, and they eventually agree. The final verse describes how the girl is growing up too fast, as she wears a tight dress and lipstick and high heel shoes. She will have to go back to school soon and be sweet sixteen again.
The lyrics of Sweet Little Sixteen capture the energy and excitement of rock and roll in the 1950s, as it was still a relatively new genre of music. Chuck Berry was one of the pioneers of rock and roll, and this song is one of his most famous. Its catchy melody and upbeat lyrics have made it a staple of classic rock radio and a beloved song for generations.
Line by Line Meaning
They're really rockin Boston
Boston is a place where the rock and roll music is being played fervently
In Pittsburgh, P. A.
Pittsburgh is also a place where rock and roll is being played with great enthusiasm
Deep in the heart of Texas
The place called Texas is the one where rock and roll music is deeply loved and played passionately
And 'round the Frisco Bay
Frisco Bay is known for its love for rock music and the people there always rock along the rhythm
All over St. Louis
St. Louis is one of the cities where the rock and roll music is played all over the place
Way down in New Orleans
Even in the city of jazz music like New Orleans, Rock and roll is still making ways to people's heart
All the Cats wanna dance with Sweet Little Sixteen
Everyone around those cities mentioned before want to dance and have fun with a girl named Sweet Little Sixteen
Sweet Little Sixteen, She's just got to have
Sweet little sixteen is a girl who always wants to have something
About half a million Framed autographs
She has a collection of half a million framed autographs of people she admires
Her wallet's filled with pictures, She gets 'em one by one
She collects a lot of pictures and put them in her wallet one by one until the wallet is full
She gets so excited, Watch her look at her run
She gets so excited and her joy runs deep when she sees her collection and could look at it all day
Oh mommy mommy, Please may I go, It's such a sight to see Somebody steal the show
Sweet Little Sixteen is asking her mother to allow her to go to a show which is such an amazing thing to see where someone can steal the show
Oh daddy daddy, I beg of you, Whisper to mommy, It's all right with you
Sweet Little Sixteen wants her father to help her convince her mother to let her go to the show
'Cause they'll be rockin' on bandstand, In Philadelphia P.A.
There will be a performance in Philadelphia where music can be listened to and rocked on the bandstand
All over St. Louis, Way Down in New Orleans
Just like in the other cities, St. Louis and New Orleans are also known for hosting rock and roll performances
All the Cats wanna dance with Sweet Little Sixteen
People in every city mentioned before want to dance with Sweet Little Sixteen
Sweet Little Sixteen, She's got the grown-up blues, Tight dress and lipstick She's sportin' high heal shoes
Sweet Little Sixteen is growing up and has developed a liking for wearing tight dresses, lipstick, and high heels just like grown-ups do
Oh, but tomorrow morning She'll have to chang her trend And be sweet sixteen And back in class again
But after tomorrow, Sweet Little Sixteen has to go back to her school and forget about her grown-up trends and be just a sixteen-year-old girl again
All over St. Louis, Way Down in New Orleans
The love for rock and roll is evident even in the cities of St. Louis and New Orleans
All the Cats wanna dance with Sweet Little Sixteen
People still want to dance with Sweet Little Sixteen all over those cities where rock music is playing
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, 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.