Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, eventually settling with Pete Best in 1960, who played with them for two years before being replaced with then Rory Storm & The Hurricanes drummer Ringo Starr in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein molded them into a professional act and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes given the informal title of "fifth Beatle".
By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). From 1965 onwards, they produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed success as solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.
The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and most singles sold in the UK. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped Billboard's list of the all-time most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score for the 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Time magazine named them among the 20th century's 100 most important people.
Former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield compared the Beatles to Picasso, as "artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original "... In the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive ..." The British poet Philip Larkin described their work as "an enchanting and intoxicating hybrid of African-American rock-and-roll with their own adolescent romanticism", and "the first advance in popular music since the War".
They not only sparked the British Invasion of the US, they became a globally influential phenomenon as well. From the 1920s, the US had dominated popular entertainment culture throughout much of the world, via Hollywood films, jazz, the music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley and, later, the rock and roll that first emerged in Memphis, Tennessee. The Beatles are regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the band among a group of people that they most associated with UK culture.
Their musical innovations and commercial success inspired musicians worldwide. Many artists have acknowledged the Beatles' influence and enjoyed chart success with covers of their songs. On radio, their arrival marked the beginning of a new era; in 1968 the programme director of New York's WABC radio station forbade his DJs from playing any "pre-Beatles" music, marking the defining line of what would be considered oldies on American radio. They helped to redefine the album as something more than just a few hits padded out with "filler", and they were primary innovators of the modern music video. The Shea Stadium show with which they opened their 1965 North American tour attracted an estimated 55,600 people, then the largest audience in concert history; Spitz describes the event as a "major breakthrough ... a giant step toward reshaping the concert business". Emulation of their clothing and especially their hairstyles, which became a mark of rebellion, had a global impact on fashion.
According to Gould, the Beatles changed the way people listened to popular music and experienced its role in their lives. From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group's popularity grew into what was seen as an embodiment of socio-cultural movements of the decade. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, Gould continues, they became a catalyst for bohemianism and activism in various social and political arenas, fuelling movements such as women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. According to Peter Lavezzoli, after the "more popular than Jesus" controversy in 1966, the Beatles felt considerable pressure to say the right things and "began a concerted effort to spread a message of wisdom and higher consciousness".
Other commentators such as Mikal Gilmore and Todd Leopold have traced the inception of their socio-cultural impact earlier, interpreting even the Beatlemania period, particularly on their first visit to the US, as a key moment in the development of generational awareness. Referring to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show Leopold states: "In many ways, the Sullivan appearance marked the beginning of a cultural revolution ... The Beatles were like aliens dropped into the United States of 1964.
In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Beatles won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Let It Be (1970). The recipients of seven Grammy Awards and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards, the Beatles have six Diamond albums, as well as 20 Multi-Platinum albums, 16 Platinum albums and six Gold albums in the US. In the UK, the Beatles have four Multi-Platinum albums, four Platinum albums, eight Gold albums and one Silver album. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The best-selling band in history, the Beatles have sold more than 800 million physical and digital albums as of 2013. They have had more number-one albums on the UK charts, fifteen, and sold more singles in the UK, 21.9 million, than any other act. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Beatles as the most significant and influential rock music artists of the last 50 years. They ranked number one on Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, released in 2008 to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary. As of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with twenty. The Recording Industry Association of America certifies that the Beatles have sold 178 million units in the US, more than any other artist. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. In 2014, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
There are two holidays celebrated for the Beatles: Global Beatles Day on 25 June each year. On that date in 1967, the band performed "All You Need Is Love" on television. In 2001, UNESCO created World Beatles Day on 16 January each year. This date has direct relation to the opening of The Cavern Club in 1957.
Five asteroids, 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, 4150 Starr and 8749 Beatles are named after the Beatles.
Johnny B Goode
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Close to New Orleans
Way back up in the woods
Among the evergreens
There stand a country cabin
Made of clay and wood
Where lives a young country boy
Named Johnny B. Goode
To read or write a book so well
But he could play his guitar
Just like a-ringing a bell
Go go, go Johnny go go go!
Go Johnny go go go!
Go Johnny go go go!
Go Johnny go go go!
Aah Johnny B. Goode!
He used to carry his guitar
In a gunny sack
Sit beneath the trees
By the railroad track
Oh sitting and a-playing
In the shade
Drumming to the rhythm
That the drivers made
People passing by
Used to stop and say
My oh my
That country boy can play
Go go, go Johnny go go go!
Go Johnny go go go!
Go Johnny go go go!
Go Johnny go go go!
Aah Johnny B. Goode!
Well his mama told him
Someday you will be a man
And you will be the leader
Of a big old band
Many people coming
From miles around
To hear you play your music
Till the sun goes down
Maybe some day
Your name will be in light
Saying Johnny B. Goode tonight!
Go go, go Johnny go go go!
Go Johnny go go go!
Go Johnny go go go!
Go Johnny go go go!
Aah Johnny B.Goode!
The Beatles’ rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” is a classic rock and roll song that tells the story of a young boy named Johnny who lives in a country cabin in Louisiana. Johnny is not well-educated and cannot read or write, but he has an exceptional talent for playing guitar. He spends his days sitting beneath the trees by the railroad track, drumming to the beat of the passing trains and playing his guitar as people stop to watch him. His mother tells him that someday he will be a man, and he will lead a big band of musicians playing his music until the sun goes down.
The song is a celebration of Johnny’s natural talent for music, and the power of music to bring people together. Although Johnny may be uneducated, his ability to play guitar resonates with people from miles around as they come to hear him play. The song is also an ode to the American South and its musical traditions, with its references to Louisiana, New Orleans, and the evergreens and woods that are emblematic of southern landscapes. Overall, “Johnny B. Goode” is a timeless rock and roll classic that pays homage to the power of music and the people who make it.
Line by Line Meaning
Deep down in Louisianna
In the southern state of Louisiana, far from the cities and towns
Close to New Orleans
In proximity to the important musical city of New Orleans
Way back up in the woods
Far away in the forested areas, isolated from urban life
Among the evergreens
Surrounded by tall, green trees that remain lush all year
There stand a country cabin
A small, rustic house sits in this rural area
Made of clay and wood
Built with natural materials that are readily available in the area, reflecting simple living
Where lives a young country boy
A boy from a rural area resides there
Named Johnny B. Goode
Known as Johnny B. Goode, a name that will become famous one day
He never ever learned
He did not receive an education
To read or write a book so well
He struggled with basic literacy
But he could play his guitar
However, he was incredibly skilled at playing the guitar
Just like a-ringing a bell
Playing the guitar as if it is a bell, with excellent rhythm and sound
Go go, go Johnny go go go!
Encouragement to Johnny to keep playing his music and keep going in his career
Go Johnny go go go!
Repeated encouragement and celebration of Johnny B. Goode's talent
Aah Johnny B. Goode!
A joyful exclamation at the mention of Johnny's name
He used to carry his guitar
In the past, Johnny carried his guitar around with him
In a gunny sack
In a simple, large bag
Sit beneath the trees
Johnny played his guitar while sitting under the shade of trees
By the railroad track
Next to the train tracks that ran through this rural area
Oh sitting and a-playing
Relaxing while playing his guitar
In the shade
Protected from the sun's heat by the tree's foliage
Drumming to the rhythm
Played his guitar in time to the beat of the nearby train
That the drivers made
The sound of the train's engine and wheels created a distinct sound
People passing by
Those who were traveling past this area
Used to stop and say
Would pause in their journey and comment
My oh my
An exclamation of surprise and admiration
That country boy can play
Expressing amazement that Johnny B. Goode, a rural boy, was so skilled at playing the guitar
Well his mama told him
Johnny's mother gave him advice
Someday you will be a man
One day you will grow up and become an adult
And you will be the leader
Johnny will become the person in charge
Of a big old band
He will organize and direct a large musical group
Many people coming
A large number of people will be drawn to his music
From miles around
People from far away will travel to listen to Johnny B. Goode's music
To hear you play your music
They will specifically seek out Johnny to play his guitar and sing his songs
Till the sun goes down
They will listen to him perform well into the evening hours
Maybe some day
It is possible, though uncertain
Your name will be in light
Johnny will be famous, with his name in lights
Saying Johnny B. Goode tonight!
Announcing Johnny's name to the audience, celebrating his talent and popularity
Lyrics © DistroKid, ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Mother Nature's Son
A really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on The Night Before
A really splendid Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on P.S. I Love You
Now this is a really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on There's a Place
A seriously underrated Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Do You Want to Know a Secret
A fantastic song by The Beatles.
Philip Kassabian
on When I'm Sixty-Four
A very tuneful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
An excellent Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on I'm Looking Through You
A beautiful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Honestly The Beatles can't stop producing good songs.
Philip Kassabian
on Michelle
A fantastic Beatles song and absolutely beautiful.