Chuck Berry’s Motorvatin’ Pursuit of “Nadine”

Fifty-five years ago, armed with a cherry-colored ES-355, Saint Louis blues picker and former beautician, Chuck Berry aimed to conquer the world with his hip-shaking rock ‘n roll and smooth licks. Tracks like "Johnny B. Good," "Maybelline," "Sweet Little Sixteen," and "Rock and Roll Music" became standards. His fortune changed in 1959, when, while gigging in El Paso, Berry transported Janice Escalanti, a juvenile Native American lass, across state lines to Missouri for work as a hat check girl at his nightspot, Club Bandstand. Berry was tried twice and later sentenced to three years in jail.

While behind bars his popularity snowballed: his songs were being covered by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones were cutting their teeth on Berry and the Beach Boys made a note-by-note cover of the maestros "Sweet Little Sixteen" ["Surfin’ U.S.A"]. After his release in 1963 he resumed recording and touring. Chess released six singles between February 1964/March 1965, four of them "No Particular Place To Go," "Promised Land," "You Never Can Tell" and “Nadine” were penned in the Federal Medical Center and among his finest. Of those four cuts, the track that gets the doctors and nursemaids motorin’ is the rival to "Maybelline" and his first post-prison song - "Nadine" – an essential to do the duck walk and dance the frug to. Take note of the driving go-go beat, Berry’s frenzied public transportation pursuit and that renowned coffee-colored Cadillac.

“Nadine”
Written by: Chuck Berry
As I got on a city bus and found a vacant seat,
I thought I saw my future bride walkin' up the street,
I shouted to the driver, "Hey conductor, you must slow down.
I think I see her, please let me off the bus."

Nadine, honey, is that you?
Oh, Nadine, honey, is that you?
Seem like every time I see you,
Darlin' you got somethin' else to do.

I saw her from the corner when she turned and doubled back,
And started walkin toward a coffee-colored cadillac.
I was pushin' through the crowd tryin' to get to where she's at,
And I was campaign-shoutin' like a southern diplomat.

Nadine, honey, is that you?
Oh, Nadine, honey, where are you?
Seems like every time I catch up witcha,
You're up to somethin' new.

Downtown searchin' for her, lookin' all around.
Saw her gettin' in a yellow cab, headin' uptown.
I caught a loaded taxi, paid up everybody's tab.
Flipped a twenty-dollar bill an' told him, "Catch that yellow cab."

Nadine, honey, is that you?
Oh, Nadine, honey, is that you?
Seem like every time I catch up witcha,
You're up to somethin' new.

She moves around like a wayward summer breeze.
"Go, driver, go, go'on, catch her for me please."
Movin' thru the traffic like a mounted cavalier.
Leanin' out the taxi window tryin' to make her hear.

Nadine, honey, is that you?
Oh, Nadine, honey, is that you?
Seem like every time I see you,
Darlin' you up to somethin' new.

Take Up Thy Rock 'N Roll Stethoscope and Walk,



Enjoy this single cc of Chess 1883
MP3: Chuck Berry – “Nadine”

"If you wanted to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry,"
–John Lennon

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