You Can't Catch Me
Chuck Berry Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I bought a brand-new air-mobile
It custom-made, 'twas a Flight De Ville
With a pow'ful motor and some hideaway wings
Push in on the button and you can hear her sing

Now you can't catch me, baby you can't catch me
'Cause if you get too close, you know I'm gone like a cool breeze
New Jersey Turnpike in the wee wee hours
I was rollin' slowly 'cause of drizzlin' showers
Here come a flat-top, he was movin' up with me
Then come wavin' by me in a little' old souped-up jitney
I put my foot on my tank and I began to roll
Moanin' siren, 'twas the state patrol
So I let out my wings and then I blew my horn
Bye bye New Jersey, I've become airborne

Now you can't catch me, baby you can't catch me
'Cause if you get too close, you know I'm gone like a cool breeze

Flyin' with my baby last Saturday night
Not a gray cloud floatin' in sight
Big full moon shinin' up above
Cuddle up honey, be my love
Sweetest little thing I've ever seen
I'm gonna name you Maybellene
Flyin' on the beam, set on flight control
Radio tuned to rock 'n' roll
Two, three hours passed us by
Five to two dropped to 5:05
Fuel consumption way too fast
Let's get on home before we run out of gas

Now you can't catch me, no baby you can't catch me
'Cause if you get too close, you know I'm gone like a cool breeze

Overall Meaning

Chuck Berry's song "You Can't Catch Me" speaks of his new air-mobile, a custom-made Flight De Ville with hidden wings and a powerful motor. When the state patrol catches up with him on the New Jersey Turnpike, Berry simply unleashes his wings and soars into the sky, waving goodbye to the officers below. The song's lyrics convey a sense of freedom and escape, with the singer relishing his ability to fly away from trouble and leave his problems behind. Throughout the song, Berry employs rock and roll rhythms and a catchy melody to underscore the thrill and excitement of flying.


The song is an upbeat, driving rock and roll classic that showcases Berry's unique blend of blues, country, and R&B influences. The song embodies the youthful energy and rebellious spirit of the early rock and roll era and would go on to inspire countless musicians in the decades that followed. Interestingly, the song was originally intended to be the opening track of Berry's second album, but was ultimately cut due to concerns about copyright infringement. The song's infectious melody and catchy lyrics have made it a perennial favorite among music fans of all ages.


Line by Line Meaning

I bought a brand-new air-mobile
I purchased a new and unique mode of transportation


It custom-made, 'twas a Flight De Ville
It was a customized car, referred to as the Flight De Ville


With a pow'ful motor and some hideaway wings
It featured a powerful engine and retractable wings


Push in on the button and you can hear her sing
Pressing a button makes the car engine produce sound


Now you can't catch me
I cannot be caught


Baby you can't catch me
My pursuers, specifically referred to as 'Baby', cannot catch me


'Cause if you get too close, you know I'm gone like a cool breeze
If anyone tries to approach me too closely, I'll be gone quickly and effortlessly


New Jersey Turnpike in the wee wee hours
I travelled on a highway called the New Jersey Turnpike late at night


I was rollin' slowly 'cause of drizzlin' showers
I was driving slowly due to the light rain


Here come a flat-top, he was movin' up with me
A police car with a flat roof (a type of car used by law enforcement at the time) was following me on the highway


Then come wavin' goodbye in a little' old souped-up jitney
Then he signaled for me to pull over and waved goodbye as he drove away in a fast car


I put my foot on my tank and I began to roll
I accelerated my car to increase speed


Moanin' siren, 'twas the state patrol
The police followed me and activated their sirens


So I let out my wings and then I blew my horn
I activated my car's retractable wings and trumpet-shaped horn


Bye bye New Jersey, I've become airborne
I took off into the skies, leaving New Jersey behind


Flyin' with my baby last Saturday night
I flew with my significant other on a recent Saturday night


Not a gray cloud floatin' in sight
There were no clouds in the sky


Big full moon shinin' up above
The moon was full and shining brightly in the sky


Cuddle up honey, be my love
I asked my significant other to snuggle with me


Sweetest little thing I've ever seen
I referred to my significant other as the sweetest and most attractive person I've ever seen


I'm gonna name you Maybellene
I gave my significant other a new nickname: Maybellene


Flyin' on the beam, set on flight control
I was flying my car, with precise control and instruments


Radio tuned to rock 'n' roll
I had the radio on and was listening to rock 'n' roll music


Two, three hours passed us by
We flew for two or three hours


Five to two dropped to 5:05
The time decreased by a few minutes from 1:55 AM to 5:05 AM


Fuel consumption way too fast
My car was using up fuel at an alarming rate


Let's get on home before we run out of gas
We needed to return home before we completely ran out of fuel


No, baby, you can't catch me
I repeated that my pursuers could not catch me, directly addressing referred to as 'baby'


'Cause if you get too close, you know I'm gone like a cool breeze
I repeated that I would quickly and effortlessly escape if pursued too closely




Lyrics © MUSIC SERVICES, INC., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chuck Berry

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@nycinstyle

"Come together" at a quicker tempo
1:12
Here come old flat top
He come grooving up slowly instead of - He was moving up with me, etc.
He got joo joo eyeball
He one holy roller

1:18
 He wear no shoe shine instead I put my foot in my tank, etc
He got toe jam football
He got monkey finger
He shoot Coca-Cola

Starts at 1:26 - 1:27 Instead of "So, I...", Lennon says, "He say..."
He say I know you, you know me
One thing I can tell you is you got to be free instead of Bye bye NJ I'll be coming home

You can match each Chuck line with a Lennon line, only Chuck is at a quicker tempo
Repeats at times throughout song.



All comments from YouTube:

@johnsolis7631

Chuck Berry the greatest rock and roll musician that ever lived.

@JimDeferio

Nope! Not even close.

@Brother_Dre1900

​@@JimDeferiovery close.

@JimDeferio

​@@Brother_Dre1900 You need to hear the hundreds of rock n roll and rockabilly songs from the 1950's. Berry was mainly rockabilly and he really wasn't special and he outright stole songs from black pianist Johnnie Johnson. Johnson sued but eventually the Statute of Limitations took effect and the lawsuit had to be dropped. For example, does "Roll Over Beethoven" sound like a piano song or a guitar song? I play guitar and to me both "Roll Over Beethoven" AND "Can't Catch Me" sound like a piano songs, and the same for other supposed Chuck Berry songs.
Why rockabilly people like Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and a couple of others were exalted in the public eye and someone like Johnny Burnette wasn't doesn't seem to be about talent and merit but about money and whoever is willing to play along with the record companies.

@axandio

@@JimDeferio It's called "selling your soul for Rock and Roll".

@richardbanker6041

Chuck Berry was the guy who the Beatles and Rolling Stones had in common and both groups loved what he did. Chuck was way ahead of his time as a lyricist and was such a great guitarist.

@redfox7490

The way he was able to hook up the video camera in the women's toilet, no easy but chuck would do anything to watch a woman have a dump, pure class 👍

@mickburke1

way ahead of any time as a lyricist imo ......you can't catch him as a lyricist

@huntergreen1767

​@redfox7490 You know, it's pretty petty to only see the bad in someone when they make a few mistakes, and overlook all the great things they did in their life entirely. We're all human beings, and we make mistakes. Stop being so vindictive and shunning people constantly, when, I guarantee you've done something just as bad, or maybe even worse at some point in your life. You may actually find joy one day if you can just learn to forgive.

@bitfenix90

Pimpin' women for decades. Ran brothels not for a few weeks or years, but decades.

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