Chuck Berry – Johnny B. Goode

About The Song

“Johnny B. Goode” is a seminal rock and roll song by Chuck Berry, released in 1958. It is one of Berry’s most well-known and influential tracks, celebrated for its energetic guitar riffs and its impact on the development of rock music.

Five facts about “Johnny B. Goode”:

Guitar Innovation: The song is renowned for its distinctive guitar riff, played by Chuck Berry himself. The riff is considered one of the most recognizable and influential in the history of rock music, showcasing Berry’s innovative approach to the guitar.
Autobiographical Lyrics: “Johnny B. Goode” features autobiographical lyrics that tell the story of a poor country boy with exceptional guitar skills. The character Johnny B. Goode is often seen as a representation of Chuck Berry’s own journey in the world of music.
Cultural Impact: The song’s lyrics and catchy melody struck a chord with a wide audience and became an anthem for the emerging youth culture of the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has been covered and referenced by countless artists, contributing to its enduring cultural impact.
Inclusion in Voyager Golden Record: “Johnny B. Goode” was one of the songs selected for inclusion on the Voyager Golden Record, a time capsule launched into space aboard the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. The record was intended to represent the diversity of human culture for any extraterrestrial life that might encounter it.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Chuck Berry, often referred to as the “Father of Rock and Roll,” was recognized for his contributions to music when he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. “Johnny B. Goode” remains one of the defining tracks of Berry’s influential career.

Video

Lyrics

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-ringing a bell

Go go
Go Johnny go!
Go
Go Johnny go!
Go
Go Johnny go!
Go
Go Johnny go!
Go
Johnny B. Goode!

He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
Go sit beneath the tree by the railroad track
Oh, the engineer would see him sittin’ in the shade
Strummin’ with the rhythm that the drivers made
The people passing by, they would stop and say
“Oh my, but that little country boy could play”

Go go
Go Johnny go!
Go
Go Johnny go!
Go
Go Johnny go!
Go
Go Johnny go!
Go
Johnny B. Goode!

His mother told him, “Someday 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 someday your name’ll be in lights
Sayin’ ‘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