The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
We got to do our alma matter, we must do our alma matter
When I was a little bitty boy
My grandmother bought me a cute little toy
Silver bells hanging on a string
She told me it was my ding-a-ling-a-ling, oh
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!
Hmm, and then mama took me to grammar school
But I stopped off in the vestibule
Every time that bell would ring
Catch me playing with my ding-a-ling-a-ling, oh
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Oh, that is beautiful
You know what I heard, I heard
I heard two girls over here singing in harmony, that's all right, honey
This is a free country, live like you wanna live, baby!
Yeah, ain't nobody gonna knock it, doll, mm-mm
Yeah, freedom
Yes sir, there's one guy right over here singin' "mine" too, that's all right, brother!
Yes sir, you got a right, baby, ain't nobody gonna bother you, tell you
Once I was climbing the garden wall
I slipped and had a terrible fall
I fell so hard I heard bells ring
But held on to my ding-a-ling-a-ling
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Hmm, you know that's future parliament out there singin'?
Oh yeah! (yeah!)
Hmm, once I was swimming 'cross turtle creek
Man, them snappers all around my feet
Sure was hard swimming 'cross that thing
With both hands holding my ding-a-ling
Oh, my ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
That's so beautiful
I think it's a beautiful little song, really I do
And guess what, everybody's still not singing
There's a few right down front here that's not singing
We're gonna dedicate this verse to those who will not sing, yes sir
Hmm, this here song it ain't so sad
The cutest little song you ever had
Those of you who will not sing
You must be playing with your own ding-a-ling
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Oh, your own, ding-a-ling, your own ding-a-ling, we saw you playing with your ding-a-ling
Oh, my ding-a-ling, everybody sing, I want to play with my, everybody
My ding-a-ling, oh, my, ding-a-ling
Slow down, I want to play, everybody, with my ding-a-ling!
When I was a little bitty boy
My grandmother bought me a cute little toy
Silver bells hanging on a string
She told me it was my ding-a-ling-a-ling, oh
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!
Hmm, and then mama took me to grammar school
But I stopped off in the vestibule
Every time that bell would ring
Catch me playing with my ding-a-ling-a-ling, oh
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Oh, that is beautiful
You know what I heard, I heard
I heard two girls over here singing in harmony, that's all right, honey
This is a free country, live like you wanna live, baby!
Yeah, ain't nobody gonna knock it, doll, mm-mm
Yeah, freedom
Yes sir, there's one guy right over here singin' "mine" too, that's all right, brother!
Yes sir, you got a right, baby, ain't nobody gonna bother you, tell you
Once I was climbing the garden wall
I slipped and had a terrible fall
I fell so hard I heard bells ring
But held on to my ding-a-ling-a-ling
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Hmm, you know that's future parliament out there singin'?
Oh yeah! (yeah!)
Hmm, once I was swimming 'cross turtle creek
Man, them snappers all around my feet
Sure was hard swimming 'cross that thing
With both hands holding my ding-a-ling
Oh, my ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
That's so beautiful
I think it's a beautiful little song, really I do
And guess what, everybody's still not singing
There's a few right down front here that's not singing
We're gonna dedicate this verse to those who will not sing, yes sir
Hmm, this here song it ain't so sad
The cutest little song you ever had
Those of you who will not sing
You must be playing with your own ding-a-ling
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Oh, your own, ding-a-ling, your own ding-a-ling, we saw you playing with your ding-a-ling
Oh, my ding-a-ling, everybody sing, I want to play with my, everybody
My ding-a-ling, oh, my, ding-a-ling
Slow down, I want to play, everybody, with my ding-a-ling!
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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this song STILL cracks me up.
it's all a very clever double entante.
"Ding-A-Ling", ha ha. ;)
Actually, it's a rather transparent double-entendre.
Aww, such wit.
Great song from a great musicien.
Much as I love Chuck Berry and this song, I have to agree with DJacques on this. It's not particularly clever or witty. A fun song, but there's no lyrical genius begind it.
Yeah I was being sarcastic (in case you didnt know)
I remember first hearing this song in a car when I was younger, and laughing to myself because I thought the double-entendre was competely unintentional.
Now I'm pretty sure it wasn't. FUnny stuff.
This song is a classic, I remember orginally hearing a small boy singing it on the Simpsons one episode. I almost died off laughter, of course then with the small amount of lyrics provided you could not decifer the double meaning.
I then heard the full song later and It still cracked me up, My favourite verse has too be
"Once while swimming cross turtle creek Man them snappers right at my feet Sure was hard swimming cross that thing with both hands holding my dingaling..."
Chuck Berry at his best I must say, one of the funniest song I have ever heard!
My favorite part is at the end
"Those of you who will not sing must be playing with your own ding-a-ling
Chuck Berry was of the fathers of rock and roll, with no particular place to go, roll over beethoven, memphis tennessee etc. This is just sell out schmaltz, its selling point being every verse has the same lame double entendre about masturbating. It demonstrates well that the pop charts have always been populated with crap, as this was his only number 1.
with respect to teerbigear...
this song, which was later in his career is actually reminiscent of his original song writing style from his early Cosmopolitan Club days, when he went from playing standard blues songs to upbeat, lyrically light-hearted, hillbilly-esque, and race-friendly creations; the response he got from the audience from those early days motivated him to continue in that style, with some songs being a little more silly (ala ding-a-ling) than others.