Johnny B. Goode | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| N.C | N.C | Bb5 N.C | N.C |
| Eb5 (Eb6) | Eb5 (Eb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) |
| F5 (F6) | Eb5 (Eb6) | Bb (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) |
Verse 1
| Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) |
Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans, way back up in the woods among the evergreens.
| Eb5 (Eb6) | Eb5 (Eb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) |
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood, where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode.
| F5 (F6) | F5 (F6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) |
Who never ever learned to read or write so well, but he could play a guitar just like a-ringin’ a bell.
Chorus 1
| Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) |
Go, go. Go, Johnny go, go. Go Johnny go, go.
| Eb5 (Eb6) | Eb5 (Eb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) |
Go, Johnny go, go. Go Johnny go, go.
| F5 (F6) | F5 (F6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) |
Johnny B. Goode.
Verse 2
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack, go sit beneath the tree by the railroad track.
All the engineers would see him sitting in the shade, strumming with the rhythm that the drivers made.
The people passing by they would stop and say, “Oh my what that little country boy could play”.
Chorus 2
Go, go. Go, Johnny go, go. Go Johnny go, go.
Go, Johnny go, go. Go Johnny go, go.
Johnny B. Goode.
Solo
||: Bb N.C | Bb N.C | Bb N.C Bb N.C | Bb |
| Eb5 (Eb6) | Eb5 (Eb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) |
| F5 (F6) | Eb5 (Eb6) | Bb (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) :||
Verse 3
His mother told him “Someday you will be a man, and you will be the leader of a big old band.
Many people coming from miles around, to hear you play your music when the sun go down.
Maybe someday your name will be in lights, saying: Johnny B. Goode tonight”.
Chorus 3
Go, go. Go, Johnny go, go. Go Johnny go, go.
Go, Johnny go, go. Go Johnny go, go.
Johnny B. Goode.
Johnny B. Goode – The Classic Honky Tonk Progression
Built around the iconic honky tonk riff, Johnny B. Goode follows a classic twelve-bar blues progression. The riff can be thought of as moving between 5 and 6 chords, giving the rhythm its signature bounce.
Here’s the chord progression used for both the verse and chorus:
| Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) |
| Eb5 (Eb6) | Eb5 (Eb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) |
| F5 (F6) | F5 (F6) | Bb5 (Bb6) | Bb5 (Bb6) |
The only variations come in the intro and solo sections, where stops are added for extra punch.
The intro starts with held notes:
| N.C | N.C | Bb N.C | N.C |
For the solo, the stops are more frequent:
| Bb N.C | Bb N.C | Bb N.C Bb N.C | Bb |
Despite its simplicity, Johnny B. Goode has become a rock ’n’ roll anthem, proving that a great song doesn’t need to be complex.
Interestingly, in most bands I’ve played with, this song is rarely performed in the original key. Instead, A or B tend to be more common. My top tip? Learn it in all three keys—there’s nothing worse than a band launching into different keys on stage!
For the chord chart, I prefer raising the 6 chords rather than putting them in brackets, as it clearly shows the honky tonk pattern. What do you prefer—chords written above the lyrics or a standalone chart?
Johnny B. Goode Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
One thing you may have noticed in the chart—and perhaps with chords and lyrics as well—is the IV chord in bar 10 of the intro. This doesn’t appear in the verse or chorus.
Normally, I’m a stickler for getting things exactly right, but in the case of Johnny B. Goode, I’d argue that this chord is unnecessary. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it might even be a mistake in the original recording!
Download my chord chart as an iReal Pro file, and you can easily change the key as mentioned earlier. You might even want to remove that intro variation before sending it to your bandmates—who will no doubt start asking why you’re making things more complicated than they need to be!
The Most Recognised Rock ‘n’ Roll Song of All Time!
Ranked #7 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry is synonymous with the electric guitar.
Released in 1958 on the blues label Chess, it never quite reached the top spot, peaking at #2. However, its lasting legacy has made it legendary—some even say it’s the most recognised rock ‘n’ roll song of all time.
If you’re wondering whether this is a song worth learning, you might have a future as a bass player instead of a guitarist! Make no mistake—this is a must-know track, and when it comes to the intro, only note-for-note accuracy will do.
Alongside more modern classics like Sweet Child O’ Mine, Sweet Home Alabama, and Summer of ’69, Johnny B. Goode sits firmly on the “must-know” list for any serious rock guitarist.
This song is a piece of music history—study the chords and lyrics carefully, because you’ll be playing it for years to come!
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