The Promised Land; Chuck Berry & the Civil Rights Movement

Long considered to be the “Father of Rock ’n Roll,” Chuck Berry was not known as a social activist. Yet, he was raised in the Jim Crow South and often suffered as an artist due to racial discrimination. In this song, penned in 1962, Berry tells of a “po’ boy” struggling to travel out of “segregationist” Dixie and on to the “Promised Land.”
In so doing, he name-checks the sites of numerous civil rights conflicts and historic protests. Many of Berry’s songs contain deeper hidden meanings. This is one of his best.

[@jimmeltonbradley1497]

My favourite Berry song. Ive been singing it since i joined my first rock band in 1976.

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

Not enough people know/knows how great the great Chuck Berry was, he was the supreme poet, and storyteller of brilliant rocking music,

[@dabsafe]

No Chuck Berry? Then there’s no rock n’ roll. Chuck was God 😎🇨🇦🎸

[@roadrunner3867]

He was the "wordmaster."

[@johnenglish929]

Don’t be daft. He’s one-of the best known and most popular artists ever who is widely acknowledged- including by John Lennon - as the father of rock n roll.

[@maggienorris7833]

Well, there's nothing to be done about those people now. They missed a towering figure of 20th century culture.

[@daveleslie4396]

Never connected the dots. Kudos for pointing it out.

[@jamesconroy6078]

If you have ever been to one of his concerts, you know how fantastic he was. Saw him 3 times in S.F. 1960’s. Winterland was on fire. Love Chuck.

[@andrewconway7730]

He wasnt born and raised in the south; he's from St. Louis.

[@peterweisz42]

Correct. St. Louis was a segregated city in 1930s & 40s. As a young performer, Berry traveled extensively across the South and came face to face with Jim Crow racism. Not wishing to alienate any of his Southern record and ticket-buying followers by overtly championing the civil rights movement, he slyly slipped in references - in this tune and others - that paid homage to the struggle going on around him in the 1960s. That's the point of this video. Thanks to R.J. Smith for drawing attention to this aspect of Chuck Berry's career in Smith's outstanding biography: Chuck Berry; An American Life. (Hatchett Books, 2022).

[@andrewconway7730]

That may all be true, but he technically wasn't raised in the Jim Crow south, like your opening statement said. To state that St. Louis is considered part of the south is simply error. The city is literally known as "the gateway to the west".

[@Themaddprof]

@@andrewconway7730 Technically, St. Louis, Missouri counts as a Southern State, as it is below the Mason-Dixon line,

[@tonyharper8056]

@@Themaddprof

[@CF-nh6lc]

St. Louis was the Jim Crow South for all practical purposes.

[@billpardue7888]

Great song but your audio sounds like you played it on a cheap child's record player .

[@michaelegan9568]

Maybe you have some inside knowledge that I've never heard but Chuck wrote this while he was in prison It had to do with him going to the promised land when he was released from jail, one of the things I do remember on his story of this song is that they wouldn't let him have a map so he had to use his fellow inmates to glean information from them of the different cities and directions

[@Anne6621]

always always thought this was Chucks best song and it always blew my mind that people totally missed the message in it

[@MLFranklin]

Definitely not Chuck Berry singing here.

[@steveread4021]

Right.

[@Gonefishing185]

I thought at first it’s not Chuck, but after carefully listening to the guitar, I think it’s really him, but maybe the producer of the video messed with the speed and or pitch of the song to avoid copyright infringement. Additionally, have you ever heard anyone pull off CB’s signature guitar style this well?

[@williamzander9708]

This song always brought tears to my eyes drove semi to all those states and you could feel that song when hauling out of poor places . Everyone is alike if you feel dignity for what there worth .

[@richardhebden5603]

the greatest rock and roller

[@ericheine2414]

Chuck believed that Los Angeles was the Promised Land. If a black man could make it anywhere he could make it there. Also the song is an example of what we call a geographical- other examples would be Route 66 and Dancing In The Streets.

[@chuckg2016]

THIS is rightfully one of the two who can be called King of Rock & Roll. Look to Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis.

[@SB-Kiwi]

And Little Richard

[@charlesvgrife2153]

Don't forget Sister Rosetta Tharpe!

[@SB-Kiwi]

@@charlesvgrife2153 absolutely! 👍🏼

[@SB-Kiwi]

@@ricks7469 totally agree with you on Carl Perkins. Absolutely no argument there, but you don't agree Jerry Lee deserves to be in the top three? Why is that? The guy was there from very early on and as far as I'm aware was quite the innovator.

[@SB-Kiwi]

@@ricks7469 I think it's also fair to say that not only was Chuck a genius on the guitar but he was doing some very clever stuff lyrically as well.

[@HarryGuit]

There‘s another song by him addressing what‘s going wrong: Too much monkey business.

[@vovavrangel4433]

Thank you very much

[@Witterings]

That's a FAKE! It's not Chuck! What are you telling here?

[@davisworth5114]

THIS IS NOT CHUCK BERRY!

[@michaelwittmann2644]

Who is singing?

[@flick22601]

Chuck Berry

[@MacHeath699]

@@flick22601No.

[@michaelwittmann2644]

@@MacHeath699 Yep...the singer doesn't sound like Chuck Berry.

[@Steve-wz5pz]

@@michaelwittmann2644 Agreed. Sounds to me like the playback is about 2/3 speed.

[@michaelwittmann2644]

@@Steve-wz5pz 👍😎

[@maggienorris7833]

Who is singing? Not Chuck.

[@charlessupp2543]

Roots music!😂

[@RickardAgren]

??????

[@billsmulick9484]

Awome

[@davidstout6051]

Never noticed the connection. Thanks.

[@pamelajordan2890]

I was so honored to attend one of his concerts many years ago.❤️❤️☮️

[@steveread4021]

Me too. But this isn't him.

[@pamelajordan2890]

@@steveread4021 definitely not him.