Of Cajun ancestry, Preston sang in high school choral contests throughout the state of Texas. He formed a rock and roll band called 'The Shades', before recording his No. 1 hit single "Running Bear." The song was written in 1958 by J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, who had died the previous year in the same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens.
Preston quickly followed up with a minor hit called "Cradle of Love," and made several other records during the early 1960s that met with modest success.
"Cradle of Love" however, was a big hit in Athens, Greece in the early 60s.
Preston's pioneering contribution to the genre was recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He also performed at Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater in Branson, Missouri. In 2009 and 2010, Preston performed with the Lamar State College (LSCPA)Touring Band at Lamar State College- Port Arthur, in his hometown.
Johnny Preston's pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Preston died of heart failure in Beaumont, Texas on March 4, 2011.
I Want a Rock 'n' Roll Guitar
Johnny Preston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A ho ho ho
It was the night before Christmas and everthing was real quiet.
So I thought I´d take myself a little walk at Christmas Eve Night.
I was makin´ it on down the street, when to my surprise I saw this
little bitty cat with big old tears in his eyes.
Now I could see he was standin´ in front of this music store and looked
real brought down. I could hear what he was sayin´ he didn´t know I was
I want a rock n´ roll guitar
With a big bass string
I want a rock n´ roll guitar
So I can play the thing
I wanna be on t.v.
Like a rock n´ roll star
I want Santa Claus to bring me
A rock n´ roll guitar
(spoken)
hahaha..so-a I walked over to him-a ´cause I understand
I, I thought I´d cheer him up so I say, ´Look-a-here little man,
A-you don´t want no rock n´ roll guitar, you want a six gun like
the Lone Ranger has, so you can run around sayin´a hi ho Silver,
Kimo sabe, and all that cowboy jazz´.
Or how would you like old Santa to bring you a little dump truck
so you could go around a-dumpin´ thing?
And he say...
´Man, I don´t want no dumptruck, I want somethin´ that swings
He say...
(sings)
I want a rock n´ roll guitar
With a big bass string
I want a rock n´ roll guitar
So I can play that thing
I wanna be on t.v.
Like a rock n´ roll star
I want Santa Claus to bring me
A rock n´ roll guitar
Spoken:
Ha, ha, wait a minute there, wait a minute, hold on, hold on I say
I say, ´Hold on there little fellow, ah why don´t you be like the little
chicks and cats and wish for a space helmet or a rocketship or something
wild like that?´ And you know what he say? He say... ´Look here dad, I
don´t want no plane or no train or nothin´ square like that, that ain´t
the lick for me, when I awake this whole place is gonna shake, ´cause you
know what I want under my Christmas tree!´ He say!..
(sings)
I want a rock n´ roll guitar
With a big bass string
I want a rock and roll guitar
So I can play the thing
I wanna be on t.v.
Like a rock n´ roll star
I want Santa Claus to bring me
A rock n´ roll guitar
Ho ho ho, crazy little fellow, crazy, yeah, say...
The lyrics to Johnny Preston's song "Rock and Roll Guitar" tell the story of a little boy who is standing outside of a music store on Christmas Eve, wishing for a rock and roll guitar from Santa Claus. He's feeling down and is crying, but when the singer approaches him and tries to offer some suggestions for other gifts he might like, the boy insists that he only wants the guitar so he can play it and become a rock star. The song is light and playful, with a jazzy beat, and it captures the excitement and emotion of a child's Christmas wish.
At its heart, "Rock and Roll Guitar" is a song about the power of music and the dreams it can inspire. The little boy in the song is clearly passionate about music and sees the guitar as his ticket to stardom. This theme of music as a transformative force is common in rock and roll, a genre that emerged in the 1950s and 60s when "Rock and Roll Guitar" was released. The song also demonstrates the playful, lighthearted side of rock and roll, with its catchy melody and upbeat rhythm.
Line by Line Meaning
A ho ho ho
Santa Claus laughs a little bit before the song starts.
It was the night before Christmas and everthing was real quiet.
The song is about the night before Christmas.
So I thought I´d take myself a little walk at Christmas Eve Night.
The singer decides to go for a walk on Christmas Eve Night.
I was makin´ it on down the street, when to my surprise I saw this little bitty cat with big old tears in his eyes.
The singer sees a cat crying in front of a music store while walking down the street.
Now I could see he was standin´ in front of this music store and looked real brought down.
The cat looks really sad standing in front of the music store.
I could hear what he was sayin´ he didn´t know I was around...he say..
The singer can hear the cat talking and the cat doesn't know that the singer is around.
I want a rock n´ roll guitar
With a big bass string
I want a rock n´ roll guitar
So I can play the thing
I wanna be on t.v.
Like a rock n´ roll star
I want Santa Claus to bring me
A rock n´ roll guitar
The cat wants a rock n' roll guitar to play and become a rock star with the help of Santa Claus.
hahaha..so-a I walked over to him-a ´cause I understand
I, I thought I´d cheer him up so I say, ´Look-a-here little man,
A-you don´t want no rock n´ roll guitar, you want a six gun like
the Lone Ranger has, so you can run around sayin´a hi ho Silver,
Kimo sabe, and all that cowboy jazz´.
The singer walks over to the cat to cheer him up and suggests that he should want a six-gun like the Lone Ranger instead of a guitar.
´Man, I don´t want no dumptruck, I want somethin´ that swings
He say...
The cat tells the singer that he doesn't want a dump truck, he wants something that swings.
Ha, ha, wait a minute there, wait a minute, hold on, hold on I say
I say, ´Hold on there little fellow, ah why don´t you be like the little
chicks and cats and wish for a space helmet or a rocketship or something
wild like that?´
The singer suggests the cat wish for something wild like a space helmet or a rocketship instead of a guitar.
And you know what he say? He say... ´Look here dad, I
don´t want no plane or no train or nothin´ square like that, that ain´t
the lick for me, when I awake this whole place is gonna shake, ´cause you
know what I want under my Christmas tree!´ He say!..
The cat tells the singer that he doesn't want any squares like planes or trains and when he wakes up, the whole place will shake because he wants a guitar under his Christmas tree.
Ho ho ho, crazy little fellow, crazy, yeah, say...
Santa Claus laughs and calls the cat a crazy little fellow.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind