The Chuck Berry Collection - Song Tabs

INTRO:

E--14-14-14-14--14-^17-16-14----------- Repeat once
G--------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------

E                                    A
Everything is wrong since me and my baby parted
All day long I'm walkin' 'cause I couldn't get my car started
Laid off from job and I can't afford to check it
I wish somebody'd come along and run in to it and wreck it

E        A       E
Come on, Since my baby parted, Come on
E     A      E
I can't get started, Come on
E A
I can't afford to check it
E A
I wish somebody'd come along and run into it and wreck it

E A
Everything is wrong since I been without you
Every night I lay awake thinkin' about you
Everytime the phone rings sounds like thunder
Some stupid jerk tryin' to reach another number

Come on, since I been without you, Come on
Steady thinkin' 'bout you, Come on
Phone sounds like thunder
Some stupid jerk tryin' to reach another number

SOLO

Everything is wrong since I last saw you baby
I really want to see you and I don't mean maybe
I'm doin' everything tryin' to make you see
That I belong to you honey and you belong to me

E     A E
So come on, I wanna see you baby, Come on
E      A     E
I don't mean maybe, Come on
E        A E     A
I'm tryin' to make you see that I belong to you and you belong to me
E
Come on

2. JOHNNY BE GOODE

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

CHORUS:

A
Go! Go! Go, Johnny, go! Go!
                  D
Go, Johnny, go! Go!
A
Go, Johnny, go! Go!
A                   E
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.
Old engineers would see him sittin' in the shade,
Strummin' with the rhythm that the drivers made.
When people passed him by they would stop and say,
'oh, my but that little country boy could play'

CHORUS

His mother told him, 'someday you will be a man,
You will be the leader of a big ol' band.
Many people comin' from miles around
Will hear you play your music when the sun go down.
Maybe someday your name'll be in lights,
Sayin' 'Johnny B. Goode tonight''

CHORUS

3. MAYBELLENE

A / / / 2 / / /
CHORUS:
Maybellene, why can't you be true
D7 A
Oh, Maybellene, why can't you be true
E7 D7 A
You've started back doin' the things you used to do

Verse 1:
As I was motivatin' over the hill
I saw Maybellene in a Coupe de Ville
Cadillac rollin' on the open road
Nothin' outruns my V-8 Ford
Cadillac doin' 'bout 95
Bumper-to-bumper, rollin' side by side

(chorus)

Cadillac rolled up ahead of the Ford
The Ford got hot, wouldn't do no more
It soon got cloudy and it started to rain
I tooted my horn for the passing lane
Rain was pourin' under my hood
I knew that was doin' my motor good

(chorus)

(instrumental, same pattern as chorus)

(chorus)

Motor cooled down, the heat went down
That's when I heard that highway sound
The Cadillac sittin' like a ton of lead
110 half a mile ahead
The Cadillac looked like it was sittin' still
I caught Maybellene at the top of the hill

(chorus)

4. MEMPHIS TENNESSEE

G / / / 2 / / / 3 / /
     D
Long-distance information, get me Memphis, Tennessee
Help me find the party who tried to get in touch with me
    G
She could not leave her number, but I know who placed the call
                       D7                             G
'Cause my uncle took a message and he wrote it on the wall

Verse 2:
Help me, information, get in touch with my Marie
She's the only one who called me here from Memphis, Tennessee
Her home is on the south side, high upon the ridge
Just a half a mile from the Mississippi bridge

(instrumental; same pattern as verses)

Verse 3:
Help me, information, more than that I cannot add
Only that I miss her and all the fun we had
But we were pulled apart because her mom would not agree
Tore apart our happy home in Memphis, Tennessee

Verse 4:
Last time I saw Marie, she was wavin' me goodbye
With hurry-home drops on her cheeks that trickled from her eyes
Marie is only 6 years old; information please
Try to put me through to her in Memphis, Tennessee

5. NADINE

A
I got on a city bus and found a vacant seat, thought I saw my future bride
                         B9
walking up the street, I shouted to the driver hey conductor, you must slow
     A
down. I think I see her please let me off this bus

CHORUS:
        A                A         B9                     A              E7
Nadine, honey is that you. Oh, Nadine. Honey, is that you? Seems like every
                                                   A
time I see you Darling you got something else to do

[Alternate verse: Seems like every time I catch you, datcha you're up to
something new]

CHORUS

Downtown searching for her, looking all around. Saw her getting in a yellow
cab heading up town. I caught a loaded taxi, paid up everybody's tab. With a
twenty dollar bill, told him 'catch that yellow cab.'

CHORUS

She move around like a wave of summer breeze, go, driver, go, go, catch her
balmy breeze. Moving thru the traffic like a mounted cavalier. Leaning out
the taxi window trying to make her hear.

CHORUS

6. NO PARTICULAR PLACE TO GO

Verse 1   ( Intro D+)
                   G
Riding along in my automobile

My baby beside me at the wheel
                                C
I stole a kiss at the turn of a mile
                     G
my curiosity running wild
                         D
crusin' and playin' the radio
                            G
with no particular place to go

Verse 2
                   G
Riding along in my automobile

I's anxious to tell her the way I feel
                         C
So I told her softly and sincere
                                   G
and she leaned and whispered in my ear
                          D
cuddlin' more and drivin' slow
                            G
with no particular place to go

Guitar Solo   G, C, G, D, C, G ( 12 Bars)

Verse 3
                       G
No particular place to go

So we parked way out on ko-ko-mo
                                     C
The night was young and the moon was gold
                             G
So we both decided to take a stroll
                         D
Can you image the way I felt
                               G
I couldn't unfasten her safety belt

Verse 4
                   G
Riding along in my calaboose

Still trying to get her belt a-loose
                          C
all the way home I held a grudge
                                   G
for the safety belt that wouldn't budge
                         D
Crusin' and playing the radio
                            G
with no particular place to go

Guitar solo   (12 Bars) G, C

7. roll over beethoven

E
I'm gonna write a little letter,
E
Gonna mail it to my local DJ.
       A
It's a rockin' rhythm record
                    E
I want my jockey to play.
     B                                       E
Roll over Beethoven, I gotta hear it again today.

You know, my temperature's risin'
And the jukebox blows a fuse.
My heart's beatin' rhythm
And my soul keeps on singin' the blues.
Roll over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky the news.

I got the rockin' pneumonia,
I need a shot of rhythm and blues.
I think I'm rollin' arthritis
Sittin' down by the rhythm review.
Roll over Beethoven rockin' in two by two.

BRIDGE
E
well, if you feel you like it
E
go get your lover, then reel and rock it.
E                A
roll it over and move on up just
A                    E
a trifle further and reel and rock it, roll it over,
E    B
roll over Beethoven rockin' in two by two.

Well, early in the mornin' I'm a-givin' you a warnin'
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes.
Hey diddle diddle, I am playin' my fiddle,
Ain't got nothin' to lose.
Roll over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky the news.

You know she wiggles like a glow worm,
Dance like a spinnin' top.
She got a crazy partner,
Oughta see 'em reel and rock.
Long as she got a dime the music will never stop.

Roll over Beethoven,
Roll over Beethoven,
Roll over Beethoven,
Roll over Beethoven,
Roll over Beethoven and dig these rhythm and blues.

8. SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN

(verses and choruses follow same chord pattern)

CHORUS 1:
                          G       G7             C
They're really rockin' in Boston,   Pittsburgh, PA
                     G     G7                     C
Deep in the heart of Texas   and round the Frisco Bay
             F                        C
All over St. Louis, way down in New Orleans
                   G          G7              C
All the cats wanna dance with   Sweet Little 16

Verse 1:
Sweet Little 16, she's just got to have
About a half a million framed autographs
Her wallet's filled with pictures; she gets them one by one
Becomes so excited; won't you look at her run, boy?

Bridge:
           F                   C
"Oh Mommy, Mommy, please may I go?
                     G    G7
It's such a sight to see;   somebody steal the show
          F            C
Oh Daddy, Daddy, I beg you
           G     G7
Whisper to Mommy   it's all right with you"

CHORUS 2:
'Cause they'll be rockin' on the bandstand
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 16

(instrumental, same pattern as verses and choruses)

(chorus 2)

Verse 2:
Sweet Little 16, she's got the grownup blues
Tight dresses and lipstick
She's sportin' high-heeled shoes
Oh, but tomorrow mornin'
She'll have to change her trend
And be sweet 16 and back in class again

(chorus 1, with first line "But they'll be rockin' in Boston)