Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) w… Read Full Bio ↴Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American songwriter, guitarist, and singer. He is one of the pioneers of rock and roll music.

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.

You Go to My Head
Chuck Berry Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You go to my head
And you linger like a haunting refrain
And I find you spinning round in my brain
Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne

You go to my head
Like the sparkles in a burgundy brew
And I find the very mention of you

Is like the kicker in a julep or two

Oh what a thought that you might give a thought to my plea
Cast a spell over me
But then I say to myself
Ah, get hold to yourself, can't you see
It could never be

You go to my head
With a smile that makes my temperature rise
It's like a summer with a thousand Julys
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes

Oh what a thought that you might give a thought to my plea
Cast a spell over me
But then I say to myself
Ah, get hold to yourself, can't you see
It could never be

You go to my head
With a smile that makes my temperature rise

It's like a summer with a thousand Julys
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes

Overall Meaning

In Chuck Berry's song "You Go to My Head," the lyrics describe the intense feelings of infatuation and attraction. The opening line, "You go to my head," refers to the person's constant presence in the singer's thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The person lingers in the mind like an unforgettable memory, like a haunting refrain that keeps repeating. The verses describe the specific ways that this infatuation plays out - the person is like a bubbling champagne, sparkling and effervescent, and the singer feels intoxicated just being around them. The mention of a julep or two suggests that the singer may have turned to alcohol to cope with these powerful feelings.

The chorus repeats the intense attraction, with a smile that makes the singer's temperature rise and eyes that intoxicate the soul. The final verse brings the song to a bittersweet conclusion, with the singer acknowledging that their attraction is never going to be reciprocated. The line, "Oh what a thought that you might give a thought to my plea," suggests that the singer has tried to express their feelings but has not received a response. The song ends with a reminder to stay grounded and realistic, even in the face of powerful emotions.

In summary, "You Go to My Head" is a classic song about infatuation and the feelings of intense attraction one can feel for someone else. The lyrics describe the powerful pull of these emotions in detail, but also acknowledge the reality that this attraction may never be fully reciprocated.

Line by Line Meaning

You go to my head
You occupy my thoughts and emotions to an intense degree.

And you linger like a haunting refrain
You stay in my mind persistently and evoke intense emotions like a sad melody.

And I find you spinning round in my brain
I can't stop thinking about you; you keep invading my thoughts.

Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne
You are effervescent and intoxicating like the bubbles in a glass of champagne.

Like the sparkles in a burgundy brew
You are equally intoxicating like the bubbles in a sparkling burgundy wine.

Is like the kicker in a julep or two
You are like the added taste in a julep that makes it more interesting and exciting.

Oh what a thought that you might give a thought to my plea
It's exciting and hopeful to imagine that you may consider my request or proposal.

Cast a spell over me
You have a powerful influence over me.

But then I say to myself
I remind myself.

Ah, get hold to yourself, can't you see
I need to gain control of my emotions and see the situation realistically.

It could never be
Our relationship may not be feasible or realistic.