You Can't Catch Me
| "You Can't Catch Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Chuck Berry | ||||
| B-side | "Havana Moon" | |||
| Released | 1956 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll | |||
| Label | Chess 1645 | |||
| Writer(s) | Chuck Berry | |||
| Chuck Berry singles chronology | ||||
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"You Can't Catch Me" is a song written and performed by Chuck Berry, released as a single in 1956. The song's lyrics mention racing a souped-up "air-mobile" down the New Jersey Turnpike. It was featured in the 1956 Berry film Rock, Rock, Rock, and was one of only four songs from the film that made it to the "soundtrack", and the only Berry song to make both the movie and the soundtrack.
The lyrics to this song reference two previous hits from Berry, namely Maybellene and Wee Wee Hours.
Cover versions
The Rolling Stones covered the song in 1965, as did John Lennon in 1975. A version was also recorded by The Blues Project on their album Projections. Florence Rawlings covered the song for her debut album A Fool In Love in 2009. George Thorogood and The Destroyers covered it on their album, Born to Be Bad.
Chuck Berry's music publisher sued John Lennon for copyright infringement because of the melodic similarity between "You Can't Catch Me" and The Beatles' 1969 song "Come Together", which Lennon wrote, as well as the fact that "Come Together" used some of the song's lyrics ("here come old flat-top"). The suit was eventually settled out of court. The settlement included Lennon covering the song for his 1975 cover album Rock 'N' Roll.
References
Bruce Springsteen references the line "New Jersey turnpike in the wee, wee hours" twice on his album Nebraska.