When I was a little bitty boy
My grandmother bought me a cute little toy
Silver bells hangin' on a string
She told me it was my ding-a-ling

My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling
I want to play with my ding-a-ling
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling
I want to play with my ding-a-ling

And then mother took me to Grammar School
But I stopped all in the vestibule
Every time that bell would ring
Catched me playin' with my ding-a-ling

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

Once I was swimming cross Turtle creek
Many snappers all around my feet
Sure was hard swimming 'cross that thing
With both hands holdin' my ding-a-ling

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 playin' with your own ding-a-ling
My ding-a-ling



Lyrics submitted by sawg

Track duration: 04:08


My Ding-a-ling-a-ling song meanings
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14 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:The song is silly it's true, but remember that Chuck said he learned this song as a child, so he's having fun with it and not claiming it to be a completely original idea. That said, here is another verse from one of his recordings of this song:

    My first lesson when I learned to swim
    The gym teacher told the girl go and rescue him
    She grabbed a hold of my bell and string
    and pulled me out by my ding a ling ding

    Now that's funny!
    Flag flashdance357on September 25, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:They forgot two put two of the verses that make it blatantly about sex-

    I remember the girl next door
    we used to play house on the kitchen floor
    she'd be the queen and i'd be the king
    and i let her play with my ding a ling a ling

    girl downstairs
    shes so big and bold
    grandma warned me, "shes too old"
    she used to take me swingin in the school yard swing
    swing down and take my ding a ling a ling
    Flag steelplugon May 04, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's grooovy... wow is it groovy!
    Flag STon April 06, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Oh man, two days ago at The Chicago Rock Cafe they where having Karoke Night and a guy sung this song.

    Two days later I still laugh at it.
    Flag judodaveon March 08, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment: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.
    Flag fatAmericanon February 25, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment: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.
    Flag teerbigearon November 05, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:My favorite part is at the end

    "Those of you who will not sing must be playing with your own ding-a-ling
    Flag D-Shizniton July 10, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment: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!
    Flag FallenAngelGabrielon July 03, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment: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.
    Flag opticalayeayeon April 30, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Yeah I was being sarcastic (in case you didnt know)
    Flag Comrade_Liaron April 13, 2005   Link

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