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Maybellene

Rating:
4.0 / 5

Words & Music: Chuck Berry

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 bumber rollin' side by side.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.
You've started back doing the things you used to do.

Recordingdate: 1955/08/20, first released on: The First Live Recordings (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Maybellene:

Scotty Moore
(guitar)
Elvis Presley
(guitar)
Bill Black
(bass)

Availability

Find available albums with Maybellene.

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burninglove92 wrote on December 18, 2009
3 Stars for the fact it's a live recording. Elvis would have had a hit with this if he recorded it in the studio. i even like his vocals on the live recording better than chuck berry.
Steve V wrote on October 29, 2010
Great to have even in bad quality. Yes, the vocal rocks, but sadly the band doesn't. Chuck's band really cooks on this. Perhaps in the studio the boys would have worked up a better arrangement. Still great though.
old shep wrote on February 17, 2011
A historic recording with Elvis in great form and the band desperately trying to work out which chords to use.
bajo wrote on February 17, 2011
The live recording we have shows only what could have been in a studio setting. I think a complete album were Elvis handled Chuck Berry songs would have been a smash. Those attempts and recordings we have are outstanding imo!
Natha wrote on December 25, 2011
This live recording shows all the more how unique the King was. It should have been recorded at full gear by the band too. In this performance his band can't keep up with him and that raises the question: who could! Fabulous! When I hear this I feel like rockin the whole day. Well, who cares it is a holiday, let's do it till the break of dawn! The best way to spend today.
Gorse wrote on December 29, 2012
I agree that there is something wrong with the band here so perhaps they never rehearsed it that much. A studio recording was needed here, for this live performance is no match for the Chuck Berry version
sugartummy wrote on April 07, 2013
The guitar solo is typical Scotty Moore. Elvis sings it much better then the sophisticated Berry.
Miknik7077 wrote on December 22, 2020
Decent but historical live recording. Not their greatest effort but cool to hear Elvis do this song live. Would have been much better in studio.
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