- published: 30 Oct 2010
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"Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 hit single 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 song has been covered by many other artists and Rolling Stone ranked it #97 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
According to Rolling Stone and Cub Koda of Allmusic, Berry wrote the song in response to his sister Lucy always using the family piano to play classical music when Berry wanted to play contemporary popular music.
In addition to classical composers Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, the lyrics mention or allude to several popular artists. "Early in the Mornin'" is the title of a Louis Jordan song and "Blue Suede Shoes" refers to the Carl Perkins song. Finally, "Hey Diddle Diddle" which comes from the nursery rhyme, "The Cat and the Fiddle", is an indirect reference to Berry's Chess stablemate Bo Diddley, who was an accomplished violin player. Although the lyrics mention rocking and rolling, the music that the classics are supposed to step aside for is always referred to as "rhythm and blues" (R&B). Arthur Alexander appropriated the lyric "a shot of rhythm and blues" for the title of his later song.
Well gonna write a little letter
Gonna mail it to my local D.J.
It's a rocking little record
I want my jockey to play
Roll over Beethoven
I gotta hear it again today
You know my temperature's rising
And the jukebox's blows a fuse
My hearts beating rhythm
And my soul keeps singing the blues
Roll over Beethoven
And tell Tchaikovsky the news
I got a rocking pneumonia
I need a shot of rhythm and blues
I think I got it off the writer
Sittin' down by the rhythm review
Roll over Beethoven
We're rockin' in two by two
Well if you fell you like it
Well get your lover and reel and rock it
Roll it over and move on up
Just jump around and reel and rock it
Roll it over
Roll over Beethoven
A rocking in two by two, oh
Well early in the morning
I'm a giving you the warning
Don't you step on my blue suede showes
Hey little little
Gonna play my fiddle
Ain't got nothing to lose
Roll over Beethoven
And tell Tchaikovsky the news
You know she winks like a glow worm
Dance like a spinning top
She got a crazy partner
Oughta see them reel an rock
Long as she's got a dime
The music will never stop
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
And dig these rhythm and blues