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
     18 Feb 1971 American Beauty (50th Anniversary Edition)
     19 Feb 1971 Three From The Vault
     21 Feb 1971 Workingman's Dead (50th Anniversary Edition)
     18 Mar 1971 30 Trips Around The Sun
     24 Mar 1971 Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses)
     13 Apr 1971 Dave's Picks Volume 51
     30 May 1971 Winterland 1971
      2 Jul 1971 Fillmore: The Last Days
     31 Jul 1971 Road Trips Number 1, Volume 3
      7 Aug 1971 Dick's Picks Vol 35
     21 Oct 1971 Dave's Picks Volume 3
     22 Oct 1971 Dave's Picks Volume 3
     26 Oct 1971 Download Series Vol 3
     15 Nov 1971 Road Trips Number 3, Volume 2
     17 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     9 Sep 1972 Dave's Picks Volume 46
     17 Oct 1972 Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73
     17 Nov 1972 Dave's Picks Volume 11
     24 Mar 1973 Dave's Picks Volume 32
     28 Mar 1973 Dave's Picks Volume 16
      2 Apr 1973 Dave's Picks Volume 21
     20 May 1973 Here Comes Sunshine
     10 Jun 1973 Here Comes Sunshine
     22 Jun 1973 Pacific Northwest '73-'74
     26 Jun 1973 Pacific Northwest '73-'74
     19 Oct 1973 Dick's Picks Vol 19
     30 Oct 1973 Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73
      9 Nov 1973 Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings
     11 Nov 1973 Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings
     23 Feb 1974 Dave's Picks Volume 42
     21 May 1974 Pacific Northwest '73-'74
     18 Sep 1974 30 Trips Around The Sun (note 7)
     20 Oct 1974 Grateful Dead Movie (video, DVD & CD)
     11 Jun 1976 June 1976 Box Set
     15 Jun 1976 June 1976 Box Set
     17 Jul 1976 Dave's Picks Volume 18
     28 Sep 1976 Dick's Picks Vol 20
     10 Oct 1976 Dick's Picks Vol 33
     27 Feb 1977 Dave's Picks Volume 29
      5 May 1977 May 1977: Get Shown The Light Box
     12 May 1977 May 1977 Box Set
     25 May 1977 Dave's Picks Volume 1
      8 Jun 1977 Winterland June 1977 - The Complete Recordings
     2 Oct 1977 Dave's Picks Volume 45
      4 Nov 1977 Dave's Picks Volume 12
      6 Nov 1977 Dave's Picks Volume 25
     29 Dec 1977 Dick's Picks Vol 10
      3 Feb 1978 Dick's Picks Vol 18
      7 Apr 1978 Friend Of The Devils: April 1978
     11 Apr 1978 Friend Of The Devils: April 1978
     14 Apr 1978 Friend Of The Devils: April 1978
     11 May 1978 Dick's Picks Vol 25
      1 Jul 1978 July 1978: The Complete Recordings
      7 Jul 1978 July 1978: The Complete Recordings
     31 Dec 1978 The Closing Of Winterland (DVD & CD)
      3 Dec 1979 Dave's Picks Vol 31
     26 Dec 1979 Dick's Picks Vol 5
      6 May 1980 Road Trips Volume 3, Number 4
      3 Sep 1980 Download Series Vol 7
     30 Nov 1980 Dave's Picks Volume 8
     11 Oct 1983 In And Out Of The Garden
     21 Oct 1983 30 Trips Around The Sun
     20 Apr 1984 Dave's Picks Volume 35
     27 Mar 1987 Dave's Picks Volume 36
      3 Apr 1989 Download Series Vol 9
     17 Jul 1989 Downhill From Here (video/DVD only)
     19 Jun 1991 Download Series Vol 11
 
New Riders Recording (with Garcia and Weir)
     18 Mar 1973 Felt Forum, NYC


Further 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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