We take a moment this Sunday to say happy birthday to Chuck Berry. He will be 85 on Tuesday and that makes all of his devout fans wonder where the time has gone!
Chuck's songs, guitar and energy left their mark on rock music. He is one of the most influential rockers ever. Chuck is indeed one of the Founding Fathers of what we call rock music!
His songs were big hits in the late 1950s. They were brought back in the 1960s by The Beatles, Elvis, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, et al.
His songs were the ones that every "teen garage band" learned to play.
Remember how you drove your mom crazy doing "Johnny B Goode" on that electric guitar that you got for Christmas?
Let's just repeat that Chuck Berry was one of the most consequential songwriters and rock performers ever! I had the pleasure of watching one of his shows in the 1970's and Chuck is second to none!
Let's remember Chuck with three of his greatest songs: "Johnny B Goode", "Sweet little sixteen" and "You never can tell" last heard on the "Pulp Fiction" soundtrack:
"Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens,
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode,
Who never ever learned to read or write so well
But he could play a guitar just like a ringin' a bell.
Go Go Go Johnny Go Go Johnny B. Goode
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack,
Oh sit beneath a tree by the railroad track
Oh the engineers would see him sittin in the shade,
Strummin with the rhythm that the drivers made,
people passin' by they would stop and say
'Oh my but that little country boy could play'
His mother told him 'some day you will be a man,
And you will be the leader of a big ol' band
Many people comin' from miles around,
To hear you play your music when the sun go down,
Maybe some day your name will be in lights sayin
'Johnny B. Goode' tonight..."
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens,
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode,
Who never ever learned to read or write so well
But he could play a guitar just like a ringin' a bell.
Go Go Go Johnny Go Go Johnny B. Goode
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack,
Oh sit beneath a tree by the railroad track
Oh the engineers would see him sittin in the shade,
Strummin with the rhythm that the drivers made,
people passin' by they would stop and say
'Oh my but that little country boy could play'
His mother told him 'some day you will be a man,
And you will be the leader of a big ol' band
Many people comin' from miles around,
To hear you play your music when the sun go down,
Maybe some day your name will be in lights sayin
'Johnny B. Goode' tonight..."
Deep in the heart of Texas And round the 'Frisco Bay
All over St.Louis And down in New Orleans
All the cats wanna dance with Sweet Little Sixteen
Sweet Little Sixteen She's just got to have
About half a million Famed autographs
Her wallet filled with pictures She gets them one by one
Becomes so excited Watch her, look at her run.
"Oh Mommy, Mommy Please may I go
It's such a sight to see Somebody steal the show"
"Oh Daddy, Daddy I beg of you
Whisper to Mommy It's alright with you"
'Cause they'll be rockin' on Bandstand In Philadelphia, Pa.
Deep in the heart of Texas And round the 'Frisco Bay
All over St.Louis Way down in New Orleans
All the cats wanna dance with Sweet Little Sixteen
Sweet Little Sixteen She's got the grown-up blues
Tight dresses and lipstick She's sportin' high-heel shoes
Oh but tomorrow morning She'll have to change her trend
And be sweet sixteen And back in class again
Well the'll be rockin' in Boston Pittsburgh, Pa.
Deep in the heart of Texas And round the 'Frisco Bay
Way out in St.Louis Way down in New Orleans
All the cats wanna dance with Sweet Little Sixteen"
"It was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well
You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle
And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell,
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
They furnished off an apartment with a two room Roebuck sale
The coolerator was crammed with TV dinners and ginger ale,
But when Pierre found work, the little money comin' worked out well
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
They had a hi-fi phono, boy, did they let it blast
Seven hundred little records, all rock, rhythm and jazz
But when the sun went down, the rapid tempo of the music fell
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
They bought a souped-up jitney, 'twas a cherry red '53,
They drove it down New Orleans to celebrate their anniversary
It was there that Pierre was married to the lovely mademoiselle
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell....."
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