Lyrics
Well the joint was jumpin', going 'round and 'round,
Hey! realin' and a rockin', what a crazy sound,
Well they never stopped rockin' till the moon went down.Well it sounds so sweet I had to take me a chance,
I rose out of me seat Lord, I had to dance,
Started moving my feet, well a clapping my hands.Well I kept on dancin', going 'round and 'round,
Hey! reelin' and a rockin', what a crazy sound,
Well they never stopped rockin' till the moon went down.Well at twelve o'clock Lord, the place was packed,
The front doors was locked Lord, the place was packed,
When the police knocked, those doors they flew back.Well I kept on dancin', going 'round and 'round,
Hey! realin' and a rockin', what a crazy sound,
Well they never stopped rockin' till the moon went down.Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans,
Way back in the woods among the evergreens
There in an old cabin made of earth and wood
There lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode.
He never learned to read or write so well,
But he could play a guitar like ringin' a bell.Go go, go Johnny go, go; go Johnny go, go;
go Johnny go, go; Go Johnny go, go; Go Johnny B. Goode.He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack,
Go sit up in the trees by the railroad track.
The engineers seen him sittin' in the shade
Strummin' to the rhythm that the drivers made.
People passin' by would stop and say
"My my, but that little country boy can play!"His mamma told him "Someday you will be a man."
You will be the leader of a big old band
Many people comin' from miles around
To hear you play your music when the sun goes down.
Maybe someday your name will be in lights.Way up in the evening, down in Mobile, Alabama (note 1)
Working on the railroad with a steel driving hammer
Got to make some money, buy some brand new shoes
Try to find somebody take away these blues
She don't love me here, I'm singing in the sun Payday's coming and my work is all done (note 2)
Early in the evening when the sun is sinking low (note 3)
All day I've been waiting for the whistle to blow
Sitting in a tee-pee built right on the track (note 4)
Rolling them bones 'till the foreman come back
Pick up your belongings boys and scatter about
We got an off scheduled train coming two miles out
Everybody's scrambling and running around (note 5)
Picking up the money, tear the teep-pee down
Foreman was in panic, 'bout to go insane
Trying to get the workers out the way of the train
Engineer blowing the whistle loud and long (note 6)I left my home in Norfolk, Virginia
California on my mind
I straddled that Greyhound and rode him past Raleigh
And on across Caroline (note 1)
We stopped at Charlotte, we by-passed Rockhill
We never was a minute late
We was ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown
Rollin' 'cross Georgia State (note 2)
We had motor trouble that turned into a struggle
Half-way across Alabam'
And that 'Hound broke down and left us all stranded
In downtown BirminghamRight away I bought me a through train ticket
Ridin' 'cross Mississippi clean
And I was on the Midnight Flyer out of Birmingham
Smokin' into New Orleans
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
Just help me get to Houston town
There are people there who care a little 'bout me
And they won't let the poor boy down
Sure as you're born, they bought me a silk suit
They put luggage in my hand
And I woke up high over Albuquerque
On a jet to the promised landWorkin' on a T-bone steak a la carte
Flyin' over to the Golden State
When the pilot told us in thirteen minutes
We'd be headed in the terminal gate (note 3)
Swing low sweet chariot, come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines and cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone
Los Angeles, give me Norfolk, Virginia
Tidewater four-ten-o-nine
Tell the folks back home, this is the promised land calling
And the poor boy is on the line