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Chuck Berry — Johnny B. Goode
Album: Chuck Berry Is on Top
Avg rating:
8.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2121









Released: 1958
Length: 2:37
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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 sitting in the shade
Strumming 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 coming from miles around
To hear you play your music when the sun go down
Maybe someday your name'll be in lights
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
Johnny B. Goode
Comments (249)add comment
and its a highway 61 thing

runs right through Chuck's town
Meanwhile...I'm stilllllll thinking 
I keep imagining Yoko Ono in the background hitting the drum on the 1 and 3 beat like in the Mike Douglas show clip.
One of the foundations on which the entire edifice of popular music is built.  Enough said.
 OldFrenchie wrote:

over played  and over rated



BTW It is being sent to any aliens who finds it first on the VGER space craft
over played  and over rated
 bowerp64 wrote:

Had the privilege to see him down in the Duckroom in St. Louis back in the ‘90s he was still rocking’ and giving the next generation a chance to join along. Great show, I’ll always remember.
Saw him at the Paramount in Austin, ca. 1985. As he wound up his set, kids (college students like me) climbed on the stage to dance. Security starting pulling them off, but Mr. Berry motioned for them to stay - stage filled up with kids rocking out. He moved off to the side and kept jamming.

Apparently his concert riders were something of legend - equipment folks had hell trying to get the gear he wanted. The situation got worse as he kept touring. They couldn't get parts for the old stuff, and only a handful of techs even knew what to do with 'em if they had 'em.

Elvis may be the King, but CB is the Father.
c.

I remember the day our 8th Grade Music Teacher played this and showed a film clip of Chuck doing the duck-walk while jamming and singing, and it sure blew our minds! She then let us play some songs from records that we'd brought in: Foghat's Fool for the City, Frampton Comes Alive, The Eagles' Hotel California, Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak, Rush's 2112, B.O.C.'s Agents of Fortune... She pointed it out to us -- and we believed her, since she'd been a kid at the time -- that such rocking music might never have taken root, might never have manifested in such electric form at all, had not "The Father of Rock 'n' Roll" come along and blazed such a trail as he'd done.  Thanks, Chuck Berry, for plugging that thing in, turning it up, and ripping hard on it like you did!
...and still my ultimate rock 'n roll song. 
 dsd wrote:

Ah,  the father of rock n roll



Agreed. But at some point the female counterpart should also be given a chance: https://www.npr.org/2017/08/24...

Bill?
The Source of The Nile
 Lindo525 wrote:

Settle down people.
Take your seats.
Class is now in session.


Had the privilege to see him down in the Duckroom in St. Louis back in the ‘90s he was still rocking’ and giving the next generation a chance to join along. Great show, I’ll always remember.
Nice segue Bill. I can still only give it ten; and now into Canned Heat fantastic.
Only on RP.
Back to the Future!
Following that bass line... all around the dance floor!
SOLID TEN FOREVER!

LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL  {#Bananajam}
Unless you are about 75 you have no idea of the effect this song had on us in 1958!
There are very few songs/artists that have had as much an effect since, maybe the Beatles.
C'mon - LET'S ROCK THIS JOINT!!
Energy and freedom.

That's was RnR is all about. 
 IgorDS wrote:
Has anyone else heard that the original (unreleased) lyric included "...could play the guitar like a bat out of hell" and not "... like ringing a bell"
 Yup, that's how he played it live!

Still the greatest rock n roll record ever. Tony Jory
Make me want to watch Back to the Future again!
You damn one-percenters... sheesh.  


(amount of #1 votes )
I always remember "back to the future" 
godaffullgood
 Canadese wrote:
 idiot_wind wrote:
Who is this guy? 

Wow. He sure doesn't understand RnR like today's bands.

We need more FOO Fighters and Smashing Pumpkins. Now they knows RnR!   

 
 your name says it all!!

 Having looked back at your comments in past years I can now see that was said with 'tongue in cheek'

Settle down people.
Take your seats.
Class is now in session.
 lizardking wrote:

I like how you're trending on this one...you'll be at a 10 soon ;-) 

I have this as a 10 simply for how important it is/was for RnR history...plus the fact that this song was used in "Back to the Future" to such great effect.....Long Live RP!!
 
I stay at rating 9 for this but I am seldom use 8 to 10 at all
 idiot_wind wrote:
Who is this guy? 

Wow. He sure doesn't understand RnR like today's bands.

We need more FOO Fighters and Smashing Pumpkins. Now they knows RnR!   

 
 your name says it all!!

 Tomasni wrote:
8 -> 9 from me
 
I like how you're trending on this one...you'll be at a 10 soon ;-) 

I have this as a 10 simply for how important it is/was for RnR history...plus the fact that this song was used in "Back to the Future" to such great effect.....Long Live RP!!
Long Live  RP
To me STRONG    8- Most Excellent  
Has anyone else heard that the original (unreleased) lyric included "...could play the guitar like a bat out of hell" and not "... like ringing a bell"
Good choice, Nasa! 
Hey....this guy, whoever he is, is mimicking Arcade Fire!

Pause.  OK...I quit laughing now. 
 jmsmy wrote:
Voyager - Hopefully "Johnny B. Goode" will keep hostile aliens away while getting the Party Aliens to come. 

 
This reminds me of the Voyager coverage on SNL News - Dan Aykroyd reads the first-ever message from Aliens:
"Send more Chuck Berry."
awesome banter, Bill G, give us more!
Chuck Berry always demanded cash for performances. My Man
Ah,  the father of rock n roll
Fills the diverse RP universe nicely...   
Voyager - Hopefully "Johnny B. Goode" will keep hostile aliens away while getting the Party Aliens to come. 
It's amazing how many guitarists use Chuck Berry riffs to this day.
 rharvey658 wrote:
"Hey Chuck, this is Marvin ... Your cousin?, Marvin Berry?  You know that sound you been lookin' for?  Listen to this!!!" 
RIP Mr. Berry.

 
That's exactly what I feel every time I hear this opening riff. The warm fuzzy feeling of seeing Back to the Future on a rainy sunday afternoon. Priceless.
"Hey Chuck, this is Marvin ... Your cousin?, Marvin Berry?  You know that sound you been lookin' for?  Listen to this!!!" 
RIP Mr. Berry.
just gave him a 10 for his legacy
RIP Chuck, no one like you..this one set the standard of R&R
Thanks for lighting the fire Chuck.  {#Bananajam}
The Devil's music.   Best listened to when young children are not around. 
will be missed
RIP Chuck!
A true rock n roll legend go johnny go
Belated Happy 90th to Chuck..Rolling Stone has an interesting article this week written by Peter Guralnick. 
 lemmoth wrote:

The song actually came our in '58, making it only slightly younger than me :-)
 
Indeed, the date in the RP database is incorrect. The “Chuck Berry is on top” album wasn't even released until 1959.
Still among the best rock n roll guitar solos of all time - timeless!!
Solid 10!!
 dwlangham wrote:
Love this song. Love it in the movie "American Graffiti"—the scene where they flatten the tires and cover the car in shaving cream. Yeah, all from a different era.
 
I always thought this song was from Back to the Future by Marty McFly with Marvin Berry and the Starlighters. But seriously, I do remember playing it to death at our basement rec room parties back in the day.
To rate this a ten, would be short by ninety. That's why I don't rate.
Love this song. Love it in the movie "American Graffiti"—the scene where they flatten the tires and cover the car in shaving cream. Yeah, all from a different era.
{#Bananajam}
 jagdriver wrote:
'55? Incredible. It's amazing that so-called "race music" wasn't available to the masses until several years later.

 
The song actually came our in '58, making it only slightly younger than me :-)
1 year old when this came out but I do remember when I was a kid my Uncle loved Chuck Berry
Rock and roll at it's best.  And, BTW, "race music" WAS early rock and roll and was airplayed in the early to mid-50s.
'55? Incredible. It's amazing that so-called "race music" wasn't available to the masses until several years later.
Who is this guy? 

Wow. He sure doesn't understand RnR like today's bands.

We need more FOO Fighters and Smashing Pumpkins. Now they knows RnR!   

 
 Proclivities wrote:

That's too bad.

 
Spoilsport.  {#Wink}
Everyone in my pre-concert dressing room loves this!
Rock n Roll fireworks!!!
 dwhayslett wrote:
"Chuck! Chuck, it's Marvin. Your cousin, Marvin Berry."

 
 patrick30 wrote:

thats exactly what comes to my mind every time i hear this song!

 
That's too bad.
HAHAHA, you wild and crazy guy, go go go!
HAHAHA, you wild and crazy guy, go go go!

 LPCity wrote:

(dragging of images into post editor is not allowed)

Chuck is great but that piano player is pretty good too!

And then... Johnny went.


Image result for Send more chuck berry


Without this song, music since would have been pathetic.
What is that strange sound....it's...it's...it's a guitar playing RnR!

Sadly...it's a dying art form. But we still got the thud and drone players (e..g, Foo Fighters) and we can watch them kiss the asses of these guitar legends on TV specials, thinking that by association, they become great players.     
 
 Nerubo wrote:
How can a song from 1955 still rock so hard?  How is that even possible?

It seems that 45% of the RP listeners rate this a 10. I'm not sure what's wrong with the others.  :-P
 

 
Some things just are.
no reason can/to define it.

Def a 10 
Arguably the inventor of rock'n'roll. Elvis absorbed black blues and gospel. Berry absorbed Texas swing and hillbilly. Maybe it was the two of them. I'm pretty sure there are a dozen or more musicologists who can draw labyrinthine dotted lines all over the South, involving hundreds of musicians, demonstrating the organic emergence of rock'n'roll. Maybe. I think it was the two of them. They knew.
 Nerubo wrote:
How can a song from 1955 still rock so hard?  How is that even possible?


 

 
Because it's Chuck Berry.
8==>9, yeah baby... {#Bananajam}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananajam}
the REAL KING of r &r
How can a song from 1955 still rock so hard?  How is that even possible?

It seems that 45% of the RP listeners rate this a 10. I'm not sure what's wrong with the others.  :-P
 
Yes, follow the Ramones with The King Chuck Berry, A1!!!  I would not be surprised if Johnny B. was then followed by some kick-ass Johnny Lydon and Public Image Ltd (PiL)!   maybe some day...
Do you want to REALLY know how I feel about this song??

OK here goes...(deleted by censor) 
 dwhayslett wrote:
"Chuck! Chuck, it's Marvin. Your cousin, Marvin Berry."

 
thats exactly what comes to my mind every time i hear this song!
This guitar sound in 1955 - it must have been mind blowing.
"Chuck! Chuck, it's Marvin. Your cousin, Marvin Berry."
And he still doing shows here in St. Louis at Blueberry Hill... every month!
I dislike this era of music.
One of my favorite Libras!! Go Chucky!
 Byronape wrote:

It's the same reason that foundation stones under massive buildings never crumble under the weight of the structure.  This is one of those songs that everything springs off of.  Love a good guitar, this song has it.  Love lyrics with a story, here ya go.  Love a catchy yet complex rhythm, now you have it.

Like many Beatles tunes, this one song is deep in the DNA of modern rock.


 
could it be that chuck is deep in he beatles DNA?
Excellent segue from the Ramones - Do You Remember Rock N Roll Radio.
The foundation is solid rock.

Mr. B, you are a certified structural engineer...
{#Bananajam}
As classic as classic gets!!!! 

 
THANK GOD it wasn't a still birth!

OH Yeah Rock and Roll is here to stay
Keep it up B & R.

Do you guys spend your afternoons dancing in the studio?

I do !     And I don't even have a studio.

 
 Cynaera wrote:
I just love this song. I think of Michael J. Fox in one of the "Back to the Future" movies, playing this song and watching as the generation of that time goggled, gasped, and looked totally flummoxed - and his line, (paraphrased), "Trust me - your kids are gonna LOVE this!"

And even now, when I hear a Chuck Berry song, I think, "Yeah, my kids are gonna LOVE this!"  And I don't even have kids.
 

Miss you so much, Cynaera...

love this song...
 
10 x 10

Super boopin'  til the end of time 
The SOUL of ROCK N ROLL. {#Meditate}
It is Saturday Night.   Very late in Europe.   Very early in Hawaii.  It's midnight somewhere !!!
 
Can I rate it again ?    If so, a 12 again{#Bananapiano}
 Pedro1874 wrote:
Go Johnny GO! Never forget seeing him booed and whole audience chanting "F***k Chuck" when he left the stage never to return after being upset by a young girl dancing
naked on the grass at an outdoor concert in Darwin northern Australia in the 70's. Hilarious Aussie humour!
 
Yeah, hilarious...
A staple in Rock 'N Roll for sure. Grown tired of it, but an important staple nonetheless.
Go Johnny GO! Never forget seeing him booed and whole audience chanting "F***k Chuck" when he left the stage never to return after being upset by a young girl dancing
naked on the grass at an outdoor concert in Darwin northern Australia in the 70's. Hilarious Aussie humour!
 dwlangham wrote:
Makes me want to watch American Graffiti.
 

 neuticle wrote:
if you don't at least like this, you don't love music. FACT
 
I love Chuck Berry and I remember 1955, but 'nuff w/ the litmus tests.
1955
wow 
{#Bananapiano}
if you don't at least like this, you don't love music. FACT
Always makes me smile listening to the drummer. That cymbal is still swinging - he don't get this new four square rock thing yet....
 Art_Carnage wrote:
I just don't see this type of thing catching on.
 
Except maybe with the younger set.
At the moment, 37 votes at 5 or less.  Just what ARE they thinking??
Definately a 12!  Popular during my mispent youth.
Makes me want to watch American Graffiti.
{#Dance}
wow two SOLID tens in a row!!
the best ever.....solid 12

Never seen the bar chart show so many 10's.   I'll have to go with a 12 !!


I dig {#Bananajam}{#Dancingbanana}
 realsleep wrote:

  And it never gets tired, like other rock n' roll songs (even other great ones).

  I wonder — why is that?
 
It's the same reason that foundation stones under massive buildings never crumble under the weight of the structure.  This is one of those songs that everything springs off of.  Love a good guitar, this song has it.  Love lyrics with a story, here ya go.  Love a catchy yet complex rhythm, now you have it.

Like many Beatles tunes, this one song is deep in the DNA of modern rock.

Hey Bill,

One day you should play all the songs about Johnny B Goode.