Johnny B. Goode

Lyrics: Chuck Berry
Music: Chuck Berry

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 learned to read or write so well
But he could play guitar just like a-ringin' a bell

Chorus
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
Old engineers would see him sitting in the shade
Strumming 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
And you will be the leader of a big ol' band
Many people coming from miles around
Will hear you play your music when the sun goes down
Maybe one day your name will be in lights
Sayin' Johnny B. Goode tonight

[chorus]
Grateful Dead Recordings
     Date Album
     19 Feb 1971 Three From The Vault
     24 Mar 1971 Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses)
     31 Jul 1971 Road Trips Number 1, Volume 3
      7 Aug 1971 Dick's Picks Vol 35
     26 Oct 1971 Download Series Vol 3
     19 Oct 1973 Dick's Picks Vol 19
      9 Nov 1973 Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings
     11 Nov 1973 Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings
     20 Oct 1974 Grateful Dead Movie (video, DVD & CD)
     28 Sep 1976 Dick's Picks Vol 20
     10 Oct 1976 Dick's Picks Vol 33
      8 Jun 1977 Winterland June 1977 - The Complete Recordings
     29 Dec 1977 Dick's Picks Vol 10
      3 Feb 1978 Dick's Picks Vol 18
     11 May 1978 Dick's Picks Vol 25
     31 Dec 1978 The Closing Of The Winterland (DVD & CD)
     26 Dec 1979 Dick's Picks Vol 5
      3 Sep 1980 Download Series Vol 7
      3 Apr 1989 Download Series Vol 9
     17 Jul 1989 Downhill From Here (video/DVD only)
     19 Jun 1991 Download Series Vol 11

Recordings from dead.net Tapers Section

"The Dead" Concert Recordings

Ratdoglive CDs and downloads

Phil Lesh and Friends Digital Download Series


Futher Information
For an online discussion of the lyrics to this song see the deadsongs.vue conference on The Well.
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography
For online chords and TAB see www.rukind.com

 


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