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Maybellene

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(Berry)

Information:
In the early 1950s Chuck Berry performed Bob Wills's song Ida Red in his nightclub act, imitating the popular country singers of the day. After signing with Chess records, Ida Red was Berry's first recording. He reportedly recorded 36 takes before a version was judged suitable for release. The title was changed to Maybellene after Berry remembered a cow named Maybellene in a childhood nursery rhyme. Maybellene (Chess 1604) became a number one rhythm & blues hit in 1955. It also did well on the Top 100 chart, peaking at #5. Sales exceeded one million copies. The first cover version of Maybellene was by Marty Robbins in late 1955 (Columbia 21446). Johnny Rivers revived the song in 1964 (Imperial 66056), reaching #12 on the Hot 100 chart.

Elvis sang Maybellene in concert and on the Louisiana Hayride quite often in 1955 and 1956.

Lyrics:
 

1. Maybellene, why can't you be true?
Oh, Maybellene, why can't you be true?
You've started back doing the things you used to do

As I was motivatin' over the hill
I saw Maybellene in a Coup de Ville
A Cadillac a-rollin' on the open road
Nothin' will outrun my V8 Ford
The Cadillac doin' 'bout ninety-five
She's bumper to bumper rollin' side by side

1. (repeat)

The Cadillac moved to a hundred and four
Got hot and wouldn't do no more
It got cloudy and started to rain
Tooted my horn in the passing lane
The rain water blowin’ all under my hood
I knew that was doin' my motor no good

1. 1. (repeat)

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 Mabellene at the top of the hill

1. (repeat)
You've started back doing the things you used to do

Where it was released:

Released for the fist time on Elvis: The First Live Recordings

LPs/CDs:

- Elvis: The First Live Recordings (1984) - Music Works

- The King of Rock’n’Roll – The Complete 50’s Masters (1992)

- Good Rockin’ Tonight (2000) – Music Mill

- Live and Unplugeed (2000) - Laserlight

- 55 Recorded Live at the Louisiana Hayride (2001) – NMC

- Hayride and Gambling Halls (2001) – Sonotec

- Playing with Fire (2001) – Magnum

- The Hillbilly Cat (2001) - Magnum

- The Elvis Broadcasts on Air (2002) - Cleopatra

- Elvis Presley at the Louisiana Hayride / The Original Roots of Elvis Presley (2002) – Charly/Snapper

- I Was the One (2003) – Janda

- Live at the Louisiana Hayride (2003) - Dynamic

– A Boy From Tupelo (2012) - FTD » 

– For LP Fans Only (2018) - FTD »

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