In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Yeah
Deep down in Louisiana, close to New Orleans
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens
There stood an old cabin made of earth and wood
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B Goode
That never ever learned to read and write so well
But he could play a guitar just like ringing a bell
Go go (go Johnny, go go go)
Go Johnny go, go go (go Johnny, go go go)
Go Johnny go (go, go, go)
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
Go sit beneath the tree by the railroad track
Old engineer sitting in the shade
Strumming with the rhythm that the drivers made
The people passing by would stop and say
"Oh my but how that little country boy could play"
Go go (go Johnny, go go go)
Go Johnny go, go go (go Johnny, go Johnny go, go Johnny go go go)
Go Johnny go (go, go, go)
Johnny B Goode
Yeah Johnny
His mother told him, "Someday you will be a man
And you will be the leader of a big old band
Many people coming from miles around
To hear you play your music till the sun goes down
Maybe someday your name will be in lights
Saying, Johnny B Goode tonight, tonight"
Go go (go Johnny, go go go)
Go Johnny go, go go (go Johnny, go go go)
Go Johnny go (go, go, go)
Go go (go Johnny, go go go)
Go Johnny go, go go (go Johnny, go Johnny go, go Johnny go go go)
Go Johnny go (go, go, go)
Johnny B Goode (go Johnny go go go)
Go go
Go Johnny go
Johnny B Goode
Go Johnny go
Johnny B Goode
Deep down in Louisiana, close to New Orleans
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens
There stood an old cabin made of earth and wood
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B Goode
That never ever learned to read and write so well
But he could play a guitar just like ringing a bell
Go go (go Johnny, go go go)
Go Johnny go, go go (go Johnny, go go go)
Go Johnny go (go, go, go)
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
Go sit beneath the tree by the railroad track
Old engineer sitting in the shade
Strumming with the rhythm that the drivers made
The people passing by would stop and say
"Oh my but how that little country boy could play"
Go go (go Johnny, go go go)
Go Johnny go, go go (go Johnny, go Johnny go, go Johnny go go go)
Go Johnny go (go, go, go)
Johnny B Goode
Yeah Johnny
His mother told him, "Someday you will be a man
And you will be the leader of a big old band
Many people coming from miles around
To hear you play your music till the sun goes down
Maybe someday your name will be in lights
Saying, Johnny B Goode tonight, tonight"
Go go (go Johnny, go go go)
Go Johnny go, go go (go Johnny, go go go)
Go Johnny go (go, go, go)
Go go (go Johnny, go go go)
Go Johnny go, go go (go Johnny, go Johnny go, go Johnny go go go)
Go Johnny go (go, go, go)
Johnny B Goode (go Johnny go go go)
Go go
Go Johnny go
Johnny B Goode
Go Johnny go
Johnny B Goode
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing! Why am I the first person to comment on their version of Johnny B. Goode!! This is probably the best cover of this song ever! With all due respect to Chuck Berry...Rob sings this song on a vocal scream that is so smooth and clear that it sounds like he's just whistling. And K.K. & Glen just have their guitars roaring. And the back up vocals are just great, you can even hear Rob given full voice.
This song rocks! And it does what a cover should do: it takes a great original song and changes it enough that you have to wonder if this isn't how it should have been recorded the first time.
Too many covers are carbon copies of the original, acting as a tool for musicians who can't write songs. But this is a cover in which the artists have transformed the original into something just as great but just as original.