Roll Over Beethoven

Chuck Berry

About Roll Over Beethoven

"Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 hit single written by Chuck Berry, originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to replace classical music. The title of the song is an imperative directed at the composer Ludwig van Beethoven to roll over in his grave in reaction to the new genre of music that Berry was promoting. The song has been covered by many other artists, including the Beatles and the Electric Light Orchestra. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 97 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". 


Year:
2011
2:24
63 
#1

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Well, I'ma write a letter
I'm gon' mail it to my local DJ
Yeah that's the jumpin little record  
I want my jockey to play
Roll over Beethoven, I gotta hear it again today

You know, my temperature's risin'
The jukebox blowin' a fuse
My heart's beatin' rhythm
And my soul keeps a-singin' the blues
Roll over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news

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

Well, if you feel and like it
Go get your lover, then reel and rock it
Roll it over and move on up just a
Trifle further, then reel and rock it
Wind another
Roll over Beethoven, dig these rhythm and blues

Well in the mornin' I'm givin' you my mornin'
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
Hey diddle diddle, I'ma play my fiddle 
Ain't got nothin' to lose
Roll over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news

You know she wiggles like a glow worm
Dance like a spinnin' top
She got a crazy partner
Ya 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, dig these rhythm and blues

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Chuck Berry

Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18, 1926) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), Chuck Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive, with lyrics focusing on teen life and consumerism and utilizing guitar solos and showmanship that would be a major influence on subsequent rock music. more »

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Written by: Chuck Berry

Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP

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3 facts about this song

Chuck Berry's Original Version
"Roll Over Beethoven" was originally written and recorded by American Rock & Roll icon Chuck Berry. - The song was released in 1956 as a single by Chess Records. - "Roll Over Beethoven" was Berry's first top 30 hit on the Billboard charts. - The song is primarily about the rise of Rock & Roll music and the decline of classical music. - "Roll Over Beethoven" has been covered by numerous artists across various music genres. - The song is recognized for its opening guitar riff, which is considered one of the most famous guitar riffs in rock n roll history.
The Beatles' Cover Version
The Beatles covered "Roll Over Beethoven" in 1963 for their second studio album, "With the Beatles." - In The Beatles' version, lead vocals are done by George Harrison. - The Beatles also released the song as a single in America in 1964, where it peaked at number 68 on the Billboard charts. - Unlike Chuck Berry's original version, The Beatles' cover is faster and more intense, showcasing the band's early Rock & Roll sound. - Having grown up listening to Chuck Berry, The Beatles regarded "Roll Over Beethoven" as an homage to one of their musical influences. - The song became a staple of The Beatles' live performances in their early years.
Significance and Legacy
The title "Roll Over Beethoven" is a reference to the famous classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven, as a way of saying that rock and roll music would replace classical music in popularity. - The song is listed as one of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. - Both versions by Chuck Berry and The Beatles are included in the Grammy Hall of Fame. - The phrase "roll over Beethoven" has become a colloquialism, implying the triumph of the new over the old. - In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song #97 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. - The original version by Chuck Berry is preserved in the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.

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