The Story Of Bo Diddley

Now let's hear the story of Bo Diddley
And the rock 'n' roll scene in general
Bo Diddley was born Ellis McDaniels
In a place called McCoom

Mississipi about 1926
He moved to Chicago about 1938
Where his name was eventually changed
To Bo Diddley

He practiced the guitar everyday and sometimes into the night
Till his papa's hair began to turn white
His pa said, "Son, listen hear, I know
You can stay but that guitar has just gotta go"

So he pulled his hat down over his eyes
Headed out for them western skies
I think Bob Dylan said that
He hit New York City

He began to play at the Apollo in Harlem
Good scene there, everybody raving
One day, one night, came a Cadillac with four head lights
Came a man with a big, long, fat, cigar

Said, "C'mere son, I'm gonna make you a star"
Bo Diddley said, "Uh, what's in it for me?"
Man said, "Shut your mouth son
Play the guitar and you just wait and see"

Well, that boy made it, he made it real big
And so did the rest of the rock 'n' roll scene along with him
And a white guy called Johnny Otis took Bo Diddleys rhythm
He changed it into handjive and it went like this

In a little old country town one day
A little old country band began to play
Add two guitars and a beat up saxophone
When the drummer said, "Boy, those cats begin to roam"

Oh, baby oh we oh oh
Ooh, la la that rock 'n' roll
Ya, hear me oh we oh oh
Ooh, la la that rock 'n' roll

Then in the U.S. music scene there was big changes made
Due to circumstances beyond our control, such as payola
The rock 'n' roll scene died after two years of solid rock

And you got discs like ah
"Take good care of my baby,
Please don't ever make her blue", and so forth

About, ah, one year later in a place called Liverpool in England
Four young guys with mop haircuts began to sing stuff like, ah
"It's been a hard days night and I've been workin' like a dog", and so on

In a place called Richmond in Surrey, way down in the deep south
They got guys with long hair down their back singin'
"I wanna be your lover baby, I wanna be your man yeah", and all that jazz

Now we've doin' this number, Bo Diddley, for quite some time now
Bo Diddley visited this country last year
We were playin' at the club a Gogo in Newcastle, our home town

And the doors opened one night and to our surprise
Walked in the man himself, Bo Diddley
Along with him was Jerome Green, his Maraca man
And the Duchess, his gorgeous sister

And a we were doin', doin' this number
Along with them came the Rolling Stones, the Mersey Beats
They're all standin' around diggin' it

And I overheard Bo Diddley talkin'
He turned around to Jermone Green
And he said, "Hey, Jerome
What do you think these guys doin' our, our material?"

Jerome said, "Uh, where's the bar man, please show me to the bar"
He turned around the Duchess
And he said, "Hey Duchess
What do you think of these young guys doin' our material?"

She said, "I don't know
I only came across here to see
The changin' of the guards and all that jazz"
Well, Bo Diddley looked up at me and he said

With half closed eyes and a smile
He said, "Man, took off his glasses"
He said, "Man, that sure is the biggest load of rubbish
I ever heard in my life"

Hey, Bo Diddley
Oh, Bo Diddley
Yeah, Bo Diddley
Oh, Bo Diddley
Yeah, Bo Diddley
Oh, Bo Diddley