Chuck Berry

"One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)"

"One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)"


It's quarter to three and there's no one in the place except you and me
So set 'em up Joe, I got a little story you ought to know
We're drinkin' my friend on to the end of a brief episode
Make it one for my baby and one more for the road

I got the routine, gonna drop another quarter in this machine
Feelin' so bad, I got to have the music dreamy and sad
I could tell you a lot but you have got to be true to your code
Make it one for my baby and one more for the road

Joe you'd never know it but I'm a kind of poet
And I got a lot of things to say
But when I'm gloomy just listen to me
Until it's all talked away

Well, that's how it goes and Joe I know you're gettin' anxious to close
Thanks, thanks for the cheer, hope you didn't mind my bendin' your ear
The torch that I found must be drowned or soon might explode
Make it one for my baby and one more for the road
One more for the road

"Our Little Rendezvous"

"Our Little Rendezvous"


Hello little Suzie, hello little Suzie
Can I walk home with, can I walk home with you ?
To see will your mother and your father
Let us have a rendezvous

'Cause I want you to be my, be my little loved one
I will be true to you, to you my love, in every way
And in our little rendezvous we'll have
A beautiful wedding day

Then I'll build a spaceship with a heavy payload
We'll go 'bip-bip-bip' way out in the wide open blue
Where we can love one another
In our little rendezvous

We'll take a basket, a short wave radio
A-tunin' on the record shows all over the whole wide world
And in our little rendezvous there'll be
A happy boy and girl

We'll kiss the moon, my love, go around the world
We'll send a signal back to mom and dad from me and you
Tell them they'll soon have a grandson
In our little rendezvous

Bip-bip-bip, bip-bip-bip
Bip-bip, bip-bip...

"Pass Away"

"Pass Away"


Once in Persia reigned a king who upon his royal ring carved these words so true and wise
Which when held before his eyes gave him counsel at a glance of his life of changing chance
Solemn words and these are they: "Even this shall pass away"

Trains of camels through the sand brought him gems from Samarkand
Fleets of galleys through the sea brought him pearls to match with thee
But he counted not his gain nor his treasure, mine or main
"What is wealth?", the king would say, "Even this shall pass away"

In the revel of his court, at the zenith of his sport
When the palms of all his guests burned with clapping at his zest
He among his figs and wine would cry, "Oh, loving friends of mine
Pleasures may come, but they cannot stay, like even this shall pass away?"

The most beautiful woman ever seen was the bride he chose his queen
Pillowed on their royal bed, whispering to her soul he said:
"Though a bridegroom never pressed dearer bosom to his chest
But mortal flesh must come to clay and even these shall pass away"

Towering over the village square, thirty meters in the air
Rose his statue, carved in stone, as the king stood there alone
Gazing at his sculptured name, said to himself, "So what is fame?
Fame, it's but slow decay, even this shall pass away"

Fighting furiously on a battlefield, once a javelin pierced his shield
Soldiers with a loud lament bore him bleeding to his tent
Groaning from his tortured side, "Pain is hard to bear", he cried
"Oh, but with patience day by day, even this shall pass away"

Sick and sore with cancer; weak and tired and old, just minutes yet to go to pass the gates o' gold
Spake he with his dying breath, "Life is done, so what is death?"
Then in answer to the king fell a sunbeam on his ring
Reflecting words he failed to say: "Even this shall pass away"

"Promised Land"

"Promised Land"


I left my home in Norfolk Virginia
California on my mind
I straddled that Greyhound,
And rolled in into Raleigh and all across Carolina

Stopped in Charlotte and bypassed Rock Hill
And we never was a minute late
We was ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown
Rollin' out of Georgia state

We had motor trouble it turned into a struggle,
Half way 'cross Alabam
And that 'hound broke down and left us all stranded
In downtown Birmingham

Right away, I bought me a through train ticket
Ridin' cross Mississippi clean
And I was on that midnight flier out of Birmingham
Smoking 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
Put luggage in my hands,
And I woke up high over Albuquerque
On a jet to the promised land

Workin' on a T-bone steak a la carte
Flying over to the Golden State
Oh when the pilot told me in thirteen minutes
We'd be headin' in the terminal gate

Swing low chariot, come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines, 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 callin'
And the poor boy's on the line

"Rain Eyes"

"Rain Eyes"


Rain eyes that blur the rays of sunshine
When all you see is seen through tears
The whole world seems as though it's crying
Rain eyes, that's how my world appears
One sunny day in Lou'siana
The clouds began to hover low
And darkness came in early evening
And brought a rain that would not go

I's just a child when mother told me
It seems your father's gone away
It's not his fault, my child, forgive him
I should have known he would not stay
You're so much like him and he loves you
But now his love's for only you
Although he forced himself to leave you
Forgiving me he could not do

Rain eyes that cloud the hope of sunshine
When everything is seen through tears
The whole world seems as though it's crying
Rain eyes, that's how my world appears
It rains all evening into nighttime
Then rains all night and through the day
My mother's eyes are weak from crying
Forgive her, she just lost her way

Since you've been gone her eyes have clouded
And darkness reigns her weary view
She'd see again from your returning
That God knows she's in love with you
One rainy day in Louisiana
The trade winds blew the clouds away
A mother heard her boy shout, "Father"
My God, 'tis him, he's come to stay

"Reelin' And Rockin'"

"Reelin' And Rockin'"


Sometimes I will, then again I think I won't
Sometimes I will, then again I think I won't
Sometimes I do, then again I think I don't

Well I looked at my watch, it was 9:21
We was at a rock'n'roll dance having nothing but fun
And we rolled, reelin' and a rockin'
We was reelin' and a rockin'
Rollin' till the break of dawn

Well I looked at my watch, it was 9:32
There's nothing I would rather do than dance with you
And we rolled, reelin' and a rockin'
We was reelin' and a rockin'
Rollin' till the break of dawn

Well I looked at my watch, it was 9:43
And everytime I spinned she would spin with me
And we rolled, reelin' and a rockin'
We was reelin' and a rockin'
Rollin' till the break of dawn

Well I looked at my watch, it was 9:54
I said, " Dance ballerina girl, go go go!"
And we rolled, reelin' and a - rockin'
We was reelin' and a rockin'
Rollin' till the break of dawn

Well I looked at my watch, it was 10:05
Man, I didn't know if I was dead or alive
And I was rollin', reelin' and a rockin'
We was reelin' and a rockin'
Rollin' till the break of dawn

Well I looked at my watch, it was 10:26
But I'm gonna keep on dancing toll I get my kicks
And we reeled, reelin' and a rockin'
We was reelin' and a rockin'
Rollin' till the break of dawn

Well I looked at my watch, it was 10:28
I gotta get my kicks before it get too late
And we was reelin', reelin' and a - rockin'
We was reelin' and a rockin'
Rollin' till the break of dawn

Well I looked at my watch, it was 10:29
I had to hold her hand, she was still holding mine
And we reeled, reelin' and a rockin'
We was reelin' and a rockin'
Rollin' till the break of dawn

Well I looked at my watch and to my surprise
I was dancing with a woman that was twice my size
I was reelin', reelin' and a rockin'
We was reelin' and a rockin'
Rollin' till the break of dawn

Well I looked at my watch and it was time to go
The bandleader said " We ain't playing no more "
And we was reelin', reelin' and a rockin'
We was reelin' and a rockin'
Well till the break of dawn

"Right Off Rampart Street"

"Right Off Rampart Street"


Way down south in Louisiana, up under the Delta heat, child
There's an old boy plays an electric guitar right off Rampart Street

Sometimes a Go-Go girl come in with him, she be shakin' out a Mojo beat
That old boy sure pick some old mean guitar right off Rampart Street

Stays crowded every time he's there, people come there from near and far
I don't think nobody knows his name, they just know it's a Go-Go guitar
They just know it's a Go-Go guitar

Way down south in Louisiana, up under the Delta heat, child
Go see that old boy play his guitar right off Rampart Street
Right off Rampart Street

"Rip It Up"
(originally by Little Richard)

"Rip It Up"
(originally by Little Richard)



Well it's Saturday night and I just got paid
I'm a fool away my money, don't try to save
My heart says, "Go go, have a time"
'Cos Saturday night bar and I'm feelin' fine

I'm gonna rock it up, I'll rip it up
I'm gonna shake it up, I'm gonna ball it up
I'm gonna rock it, ball tonight

I got a date and I won't be late
Pickin' her up in my '88
Cruise on down 'bout the union hall
John starts jumpin', we'll have a ball

Gonna rock it up, yes, I'm gonna rip it up
I'm gonna shake it up, I'm gonna ball it up
I'm gonna rock it and ball tonight

'Long about ten and I'm swingin' high
Me and my baby, rocking up in the sky
Don't care if I spend my dollar
'Cause tonight I'm gonna be one happy soul

I'm gonna rock it up, I'll rip it up
I'm gonna shake it up, I'm gonna ball it up
I'm gonna rock it and ball tonight

"Rock And Roll Music"

"Rock And Roll Music"


Just let me hear some of that rock and roll music
Any old way you choose it
It's got a backbeat, you can't lose it
Any old time you use it
It's gotta be rock and roll music
If you wanna dance with me
If you wanna dance with me

I have no kick against modern jazz
Unless they try to play it too darn fast
And change the beauty of the melody
Until they sound just like a symphony

That's why I go for that rock and roll music
Any old way you choose it
It's got a backbeat, you can't lose it
Any old time you use it
It's gotta be rock and roll music
If you want to dance with me
If you want to dance with me

I took my loved one over cross the tracks
So she can hear my man a-wail a sax
I must admit they have a rockin' band
Man, they were blowin' like a hurricane

That's why I go for that rock and roll music
Any old way you choose it
It's got a backbeat, you can't lose it
Any old time you use it
It's gotta be rock and roll music
If you wanna dance with me
If you wanna dance with me

Way down South they gave a jubilee
The jokey folks, they had a jamboree
They're drinkin' homebrew from a wooden cup
The folks dancin' got all shook up

And started playin' that rock and roll music
Any old way you choose it
It's got a backbeat, you can't lose it
Any old time you use it
It's gotta be rock and roll music
If you wanna dance with me
If you wanna dance with me

Don't care to hear 'em play a tango
I'm in the mood to dig a mambo
It's way too early for a congo
So keep a-rockin' that piano

So I can hear some of that rock and roll music
Any old way you choose it
It's got a backbeat, you can't lose it
Any old time you use it
It's gotta be rock and roll music
If you wanna dance with me
If you wanna dance with me