Johnny B. Goode
Michael J. Fox Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Way down in Louisiana, down the New Orleans
Way back up on the woods among the evergreens
There stood an log cabin made of earth and wood
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B Goode
Who'd never, ever learned to read or write so well
He could play a guitar just like he's ringin' a bell

Chorus:
Go! Go! Go! Johnny! Go! Go!
Go! Johnny! Go! Go! Go!
Go! Johnny! Go! Go!
Go! Johnny! Go! Go! Go! Johnny B. Goode!

He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
And sit beneath the trees by the railroad track
The engineers could see him sittin' in the shade
Strummin'to the rhythm that the driver made
The people passing by you know they stop and say
"Oh, my, that little country boy sure could play"

Repeat Chorus:
Go! Go! Go! Johnny! Go! Go!
Go! Johnny! Go! Go! Go!
Go! Johnny! Go! Go!
Go! Johnny! Go! Go! Go! Johnny B. Goode!

Instrumental:

Well his mama told him, "One day you will be a man
And you will be the leader of a big old band
People gonna come from miles around
To listen to you play till the sun goes down
And one day maybe your name gonna be in lights
A-sayin' 'Johnny B Goode tonight'"

Last Chorus:
Go! Go! Go! Go!Johnny! Go! Go!
Go! Johnny! Go! Go! Go!
Go! Johnny! Go! Go!
Go! Johnny! Go! Go! Go! Johnny B Goode




Oh Go! Go! Go! Go! Johnny! Go! Go!
Go! Johnny! Go! Go! Go! Go! Johnny! Go! Go!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Michael J. Fox's "Johnny B. Goode" takes the listener to New Orleans where a boy named Johnny B. Goode resides in a log cabin amongst the evergreens. Johnny was not such a great student but he could play the guitar like a pro. His guitar was always in a gunny sack wherever he went, and he would sit under the trees beside the railroad where he would strum to the rhythm of the passing trains while the people who passed by would stop and marvel at his incredible musical talent. Johnny's mom believed he would be a great leader of a big band, and his name would one day be in lights as Johnny B. Goode. The chorus of the song encourages Johnny to keep going, implying that he was on the right path to greatness.


The lyrics tell a story that many can relate to about rising up from humble beginnings, pursuing one's passion, and eventually achieving greatness. The song has a catchy and upbeat tempo that gets listeners tapping their toes and singing along.


Line by Line Meaning

Way down in Louisiana, down the New Orleans
Deep in the southern state of Louisiana, in the city of New Orleans


Way back up on the woods among the evergreens
In the far woods surrounded by tall trees and evergreen plants


There stood an log cabin made of earth and wood
There was a cabin built with natural materials such as earth and wood


Where lived a country boy named Johnny B Goode
Johnny B Goode was a young boy living a simple country life in that cabin


Who'd never, ever learned to read or write so well
Despite being unable to read or write well, Johnny B Goode had a musical talent


He could play a guitar just like he's ringin' a bell
His skill on guitar was so impressive that it sounded like bells ringing out


Chorus: Go! Go! Go! Johnny! Go! Go! Go! Johnny B. Goode!
The chorus is a cheer for Johnny B Goode and his music


He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
Johnny B Goode used to carry his guitar in a rough sack on his back


And sit beneath the trees by the railroad track
He would sit under the trees beside the tracks that the trains ran on


The engineers could see him sittin' in the shade
The train engineers passing by would notice him relaxing in the shade


Strummin'to the rhythm that the driver made
Johnny B Goode would play his guitar in time with the sounds of the passing trains


The people passing by you know they stop and say
People who passed by would notice him playing and stop to watch


"Oh, my, that little country boy sure could play"
The onlookers were impressed by his talent


Chorus: Go! Go! Go! Johnny! Go! Go! Go! Johnny B. Goode!
The chorus repeats as a cheer for Johnny B Goode and his music


Instrumental:
This is a musical interlude with no lyrics


Well his mama told him, "One day you will be a man
Johnny B Goode's mother always told him he would grow up to be a man


And you will be the leader of a big old band
She believed he would become a leader for a large musical group


People gonna come from miles around
People would travel long distances to hear him play


To listen to you play till the sun goes down
Audiences would listen to him play all day until sunset


And one day maybe your name gonna be in lights
Someday, his name would be up in lights for everyone to see


A-sayin' 'Johnny B Goode tonight'"
The lights would be promoting Johnny B Goode's performance that night


Last Chorus: Go! Go! Go! Go!Johnny! Go! Go! Go! Johnny B Goode
The final chorus repeats again, cheering Johnny B Goode and his music one last time


Oh Go! Go! Go! Go! Johnny! Go! Go!
The crowd passionately cheers for Johnny B Goode's skills


Go! Johnny! Go! Go! Go!
Encouraging him to continue making beautiful music all the time


Go! Johnny! Go! Go!
And to keep pushing himself and performing to his best abilities


Go! Johnny! Go! Go! Go! Johnny B Goode
The song ends with one last cheer for Johnny B Goode and his exceptional talent




Contributed by Caleb T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@rodrigohir1

I guess the two thousand people who disliked aren’t ready for that yet, but their kids are gonna love it.

@heatherlincecum2530

True!

@10bagger81

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

@breed6394

TRUE

@VoItricty

There are only 1.5 dislikes
Are you from the future or something?

@rodrigohir1

@@VoItricty yes and I'll be back

183 More Replies...

@ultramatthewc2818

I can’t believe he did this with Parkinson’s. What an absolute legend dude.

@wildmanfujiami5870

Not even parkinson's can stop the power of rock n' roll

@mistadangerzone8362

@@wildmanfujiami5870 amen to that brother

@maggs131

Watch close and listen. He's plugged in but he's playing air guitar. He still deserves all the cheering he hears ❤🤘

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