Maybellene Lyrics
Maybellene, why can't you be true?
Oh, Maybellene, why can't you be true?
You done started doing the things you used to do
[Verse 1]
As I was motorvatin' over the hill
I saw Maybellene in a Coupe DeVille
A Cadillac a-rollin' on the open road
Nothin' will outrun my V8 Ford
The Cadillac doin' 'bout ninety-five
We was bumper to bumper, rollin' side to side
[Chorus]
Maybellene, why can't you be true?
Oh, Maybellene, why can't you be true?
You done started back doing the things you used to do
[Verse 2]
A Cadillac pulled up to one hundred and four
The Ford got hot and wouldn't do no more
It done got a cloud and started to rain
I tooted my horn for the passin' lane
The rain water blowin' all under my hood
I knew that was doin' my motor good
Maybellene, why can't you be true?
Oh, Maybellene, why can't you be true?
You done started back doing the things you used to do
[Instrumental Break]
[Chorus]
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true
You done started back doing the things you used to do
[Verse 3]
The motor cooled down, the heat went down
And that's when I heard that highway sound
The Cadillac a-sittin' like a ton of lead
A hundred and ten a half a mile ahead
The Cadillac lookin' like it's sittin' still
And I caught Maybellene at the top of the hill
[Chorus]
Maybellene, why can't you be true?
Oh, Maybellene, why can't you be true?
You done started back doing the things you used to do
About
The first song ever recorded by Chuck Berry in Chess Studios, this reworking of the classic song “Ida Red” was chuck’s first hit. Willie Dixon played bass, Johnnie Johnson played piano, Chuck Berry played guitar and sang, Jerome Green played maracas, Ebby Hardy played drums.
Phil Chess showed particular interest in this song (while Willie Dixon apparently had little faith in it) because it was a country song being sung by a black man, and because it featured fast cars as a central theme. This combination, he believed had crossover appeal especially when paired with “Wee Wee Hours” a bluesier number on the B side. When all four songs from Berry’s first session were sent to Alan Freed “Maybellene” became a national sensation.
Johnnie Johnson claims that the song’s title was changed from “Ida May” (the name chuck had been using) to “Maybellene” after Phil suggested a change and chuck berry saw a bottle of maybelline perfume on the ground.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
“Maybellene” peaked at #2 on the Blues Digital Song Sales chart.
- 2.Deep Feeling
- 5.Roly Poly
- 10.Havana Moon
- 11.Downbound Train
- 12.Drifting Heart
- 14.Thirty Days
- 15.Maybellene