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.
Too Pooped to Pop
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He goes to all the dances and they call him cha-cha King
He cha-cha's when the band is playin' rock and roll
He tries to keep in time but the beat leaves him cold
Because he's too pooped to pop, too old a soul
Hips gettin' weaker when he tries to do this stroll
And every time his feet get to go in one way
Chicks told Casey, you better move man
This is only a one night stand
Casey wasn't in time but he was dancin' awhile
Till a cramp caught his leg and he had to change his style
Because he's too pooped to pop, too old a soul
Hips gettin' weaker when he tries to do this stroll
And every time his feet get to go in one way
Here comes a new dance and it's goin' to stray
Because he's too pooped to pop, too old a soul
Hips gettin' weaker when he tries to do this stroll
And every time his feet get to go in one way
Here comes a new dance and it's goin' to stray
Casey finally learned to do the hoochie koo
This might have been fine back in '22
Now, I'm gonna give you fellows just a little tip
If you wanna keep your girl you'll better get hip
Or, you'll be too pooped to pop, too old a soul
You hips are gettin' weaker when you'll try to do the stroll
And every time your feet gettin' to go in one way
Here comes a new dance you'll be left to stray
The Chuck Berry song "Too Pooped to Pop" is a commentary on the generation gap between older and younger generations. Casey, an older man, wants to be a part of the younger generation and goes dancing at their events despite being out of touch with the new dances that are being released. The title of the song, "Too Pooped to Pop," describes Casey's physical difficulty in keeping up with the pace of the new dances because he is an old soul with hips that are getting weaker.
The lyrics depict the frustration that Casey feels when he is unable to keep up with the new dances, and how they separate him from the younger generation. He tries to stay in time with the music, but the new beats are too much for him to handle.
The song is a commentary on how the younger generation can feel alienated from older generations, and how older generations can feel left behind by the rapid changes of youth culture. The lyrics suggest that the key to keeping up with the times is to remain adaptable and willing to learn new things.
Line by Line Meaning
Casey is an old man who wants to be a teen
Casey is an old man who wishes to experience the youthfulness of his teenage years
He goes to all the dances and they call him cha-cha King
Casey attends all the dances and has earned the title of Cha-Cha King
He cha-cha's when the band is playin' rock and roll
Although the band plays rock and roll music, Casey dances the Cha-Cha instead
He tries to keep in time but the beat leaves him cold
Casey attempts to match the beat of the music but struggles to do so
Because he's too pooped to pop, too old a soul
Casey has become too weary to dance as energetically as he used to
Hips gettin' weaker when he tries to do this stroll
As his age catches up, Casey finds it challenging to perform even the simplest dance steps
And every time his feet get to go in one way
Whenever Casey thinks he has mastered a dance move, the music changes, and he has to learn a new one
Here comes a new dance and it's goin' to stray
Every new dance presents a deviation from the familiar moves, which Casey will find difficult to cope with
Chicks told Casey, you better move man
The young girls at the dance urge Casey to improve his dancing skills
This is only a one night stand
The girls dance with Casey just for one night, and then move on to other dance partners
Casey wasn't in time but he was dancin' awhile
Even though Casey couldn't keep up with the beat, he continued dancing for some time
Till a cramp caught his leg and he had to change his style
Casey suffers a cramp while dancing and is forced to switch to a different dance style
Casey finally learned to do the hoochie koo
After struggling with other dance moves, Casey eventually learned how to do the Hoochie Koo dance
This might have been fine back in '22
The Hoochie Koo dance was probably in vogue during the 1920s
Now, I'm gonna give you fellows just a little tip
The singer issues a piece of advice to his male audience
If you wanna keep your girl you'll better get hip
To retain a girlfriend, a man must be adept at dancing and keep pace with the latest dance trends
Or, you'll be too pooped to pop, too old a soul
Otherwise, you will become too exhausted to dance or keep up with the energetic youth
You hips are gettin' weaker when you'll try to do the stroll
With age, men's bodies become less flexible, making it difficult to perform dance steps that require bending or swaying
And every time your feet gettin' to go in one way
As one becomes accustomed to one style of dance, a new one emerges, making it harder to keep up with the trend
Here comes a new dance you'll be left to stray
When everyone else catches on to the new dance move, you will be left behind and excluded from the fun
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BILLY DAVIS
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.