Roll Over Beethoven
Beatles · With the Beatles
Well gonna write a little letter
Gonna mail it to my local deejay
It's a rockin little record
I want my jockey to play
Roll over, Beethoven
Gotta hear it again today
You know my temperature's rising
And the jukebox blows a fuse
My heart's beating rhythm and my soul keeps a-singin the blues
Roll over Beethoven
And tell Tchaikovsky the news
I've got a rockin pneumonia
I need a shot of rhythm and blues
I think I caught arthritis sitting down by the rhythm revue
Roll over Beethoven
Rockin in two by two
Well if you're feelin like it
Get your lover and reel and rock it
Roll it over and move on up
Just a trifle further
And reel and rock it, roll it over
Roll over Beethoven
Rockin in two by two
Well early in the mornin
I'm a-giving you the warning
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
Hey diddle diddle I'll play my fiddle
Ain't got nothin to lose
Roll over Beethoven
And tell Tchaikovsky the news
You know she winks like a glow-worm
Dances like a spinning top
She's got a crazy partner
Oughta see him reel and rock
As long as he got a dime
The music will never stop
Well roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Picture these rhythm and blues
Gonna mail it to my local deejay
It's a rockin little record
I want my jockey to play
Roll over, Beethoven
Gotta hear it again today
You know my temperature's rising
And the jukebox blows a fuse
My heart's beating rhythm and my soul keeps a-singin the blues
Roll over Beethoven
And tell Tchaikovsky the news
I've got a rockin pneumonia
I need a shot of rhythm and blues
I think I caught arthritis sitting down by the rhythm revue
Roll over Beethoven
Rockin in two by two
Well if you're feelin like it
Get your lover and reel and rock it
Roll it over and move on up
Just a trifle further
And reel and rock it, roll it over
Roll over Beethoven
Rockin in two by two
Well early in the mornin
I'm a-giving you the warning
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
Hey diddle diddle I'll play my fiddle
Ain't got nothin to lose
Roll over Beethoven
And tell Tchaikovsky the news
You know she winks like a glow-worm
Dances like a spinning top
She's got a crazy partner
Oughta see him reel and rock
As long as he got a dime
The music will never stop
Well roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Roll over Beethoven
Picture these rhythm and blues
Roll Over Beethoven
Released on the 1963 album With the Beatles, this track stands as a pivotal moment in the band's evolution from pop performers to serious musicians. Written by John Lennon, the song features a complex, jazz-influenced arrangement that showcases the group's growing technical proficiency and creative ambition. The title references Beethoven, signaling a deliberate shift toward classical and rock fusion styles that would define their later work. As a staple of the British Invasion, the recording captures the energy of early 1960s London and remains a celebrated example of the Beatles' ability to blend traditional songwriting structures with innovative instrumentation and rhythmic complexity.