The Beatles

Songwriter: Chuck Berry

[Verse 1: George Harrison]
Well, gonna write a little letter
Gonna mail it to my local DJ
It's a rocking little record
I want my jockey to play
Roll over Beethoven
Gotta hear it again today

[Verse 2: George Harrison]
You know my temperature's rising
And the jukebox blows a fuse
My heart's beating rhythm
And my soul keeps singing the blues
Roll over Beethoven
And tell Tchaikovsky the news

[Verse 3: George Harrison]
I got a rocking pneumonia
I need a shot of rhythm and blues (Woo)
I think I caught the arthritis
Sitting down by the rhythm revue
Roll over Beethoven
Rocking in two by two

[Verse 4: George Harrison]
Well if you feel it and like it
Well get your lover and reel and rock it
Roll it over and move on up
Just a trifle further and reel and rock it
Roll it over
Roll over Beethoven
Rocking in two by two (Woo)

[Verse 5: George Harrison]
Well early in the morning
I'm a-giving you the warning
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
Hey diddle diddle
I'll play my fiddle
Ain't got nothing to lose
Roll over Beethoven
And tell Tchaikovsky the news

[Verse 6: George Harrison]
You know she wiggles like a glow worm
Dance like a spinning top
She's got a crazy partner
Oughta see 'em reel and rock
Long as she got a dime
The music will never stop

[Outro: George Harrison]
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Dig to these rhythm and blues

The Beatles are arguably the most famous, critically-acclaimed, and successful rock band of all time—certainly the preeminent group of the 20th century. They started out as four teenagers playing grimy basement clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg, but they progressed to become world-beating rock stars who are still influential to this day.

John Lennon first formed a skiffle group called The Quarrymen in March 1957. A fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney joined shortly thereafter, eventually inviting his friend George Harrison to audition for the band. After finally impressing John with his guitar skills, George was asked to join—but this juncture would be short-lived as John’s departure to college signaled the other quarrymen to go their separate ways.

By 1960, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison had re-branded from ‘Johnny & the Moondogs’ to ‘The Silver Beetles’ at the behest of their new bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe. The name would eventually evolve into ‘The Silver Beatles’ by July of that year, before settling on ‘The Beatles’ come August—just in time for their trip to Hamburg with new drummer, Pete Best. Though club residencies in Germany would prove fundamental to the group’s progress as a whole, the tour turned out to be a blessing and a curse, following the deportation of a then-seventeen-year-old George Harrison, and the eventual tragic death of Stuart Sutcliffe.

more tracks from the album

Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962

From the album

Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 (1977)

The Beatles popular songs

Roll Over Beethoven (Live in Germany)The Beatles

The Beatles

Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962