Song title: Johnny B Goode
(Berry) by Chuck Berry (Chess 1691), 1957
Johnny B Goode
Way down 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 name of Johnny B. Goode...
He never ever learned to read or write so well,
But he could play the guitar like ringing a bell.
Go Go
Go Johnny Go
Go Go
Johnny B. Goode
He use to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
And sit beneath the trees by the railroad track.
Oh, the engineers used to see him sitting in the shade,
Playing to the rhythm that the drivers made.
People passing by would stop and say
Oh my that little country boy could play
His mama told him someday he would be a man,
And he would be the leader of a big old band.
Many people coming from miles around
To hear him play his music when the sun go down
Maybe someday his name would be in lights
Saying Johnny B. Goode tonight.
This song has never been published on any official release.
Very few performances of this songs are known (to me, at least!):
- 18/09/1982 Big Man's West, Red Bank,NJ ,USA during the 1982-84 "NJ clubs" Tour
- 02/09/1995 Municipal Stadium, Cleveland,OH ,USA
- 02/04/2011 Wonder Bar, Asbury Park,NJ ,USA
- 28/04/2017 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park,NJ ,USA
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database
First known live performance: 18/09/1982 Big Man's West, Red Bank,NJ ,USA
Last known live performance: 28/04/2017 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park,NJ ,USA
Song 'history':
One only performance during the 1982-1984 period, during which Bruce played, with various small groups or guesting, in a number of bars and small clubs of the New Jersey area (18/09/1982 Big Man's West, Red Bank,NJ ,USA)
The song was also played in informal happenings or off-tour appearances
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database