Album: The London Chuck Berry Sessions (1972)

Charted: 1 1

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• 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! Writer/s: Chuck Berry
  Publisher: ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 45

• Joe H from Ventura CaliforniaWhen I first heard this song I was driving on the freeway I had to pull over because I was laughing too hard to concentrate on my driving this song brings back many beautiful memories
• Ekristheh from HalathIn the mid '70s I heard a 3 a.m. announcer / rock historian, on a usually intelligent and listenable station, give about a ten minute rant about being required to play brainless pop tunes for the demographic. He then played this at 78. It was much better that way. I still have the tape somewhere.
• La Zalewski from Pittsburgh, PaI recall this getting a lot of airplay on my local AM radio station in the early-mid 1970s.
  
  For being Berry's only #1 song I rarely hear it played anywhere today, whether online radio or brick and mortar stations. If I hear it once every 5-10 years I'd be ok with it..
• Ricky Sztajer from Newport RicheyI loved chuck berry . he had a lot of great songs. But ding a ling was my favorite..he was the godfather of rock n roll.. Even marty mcfly loved him he sang. Chuck berrys. Johnny b. Good.. Well i gotta go.. You see in chucks honor i gotta play with my own ding a ling!! Call me a ding a ling if you want.. Im so proud of chuck berry and what he did for rock n roll!! Thanks!
• My Ding-a-ling from PaHow many silver bells did Grandma hang on String? I want to make a cute little toy!
• Carol from OhioThere’s a lot worse songs out there now then this one! Good grief take a chill.
• Michelle from Washington StateFunny how serious people are
  I love this song it reminds me of being a kid. My dad would listen to it
  Along with Ray Stevens, and a few others. It's all in how you wanna look at it can be a boy talking about his favorite toy or for the dirty minded......
• Ade from Coventry UkYes this was recorded in Coventry. The Specials Jerry Dammers was in the audience and can apparently be heard shouting out in the audience. A few years later The Specials recorded the live version of Too Much Too Young at the same venue.
• Lee from Stockton, CaI have an lp from 1962 or '63 by Doug Clark and The Hot Nuts where he sings this song and is credited with the songwriting to it.
• Crazyc63312 from Pittsburgh, PaI first heard this song on Dr. Demento's 30th Anneversary(yeah-I spelt it wrong. So what?) CD! I laughed so hard!
• Paul from Detroit, Mimost annoyingly, stupid song ever recorded.
• Annabelle from Eugene, OrMy mistake, I meant to say "phallus". I'm such a doodoo brain. Never saw it spelled? Here's the catch, I can't see! I'm blind, remember?
• Drew from B\'ham, AlThere is no word "fallace" that I know of, unless it's the root of "fallacy". To clear things up, Annabelle from Eugene, perhaps you heard the word & never saw it spelled. Were you thinking of the Greek term "phallus"?
• John from Coventry, United KingdomThe song was recorded at the Lanchester Polytechnic Arts Festival 3rd Feb 1972, but the concert was not on the campus it was at the nearby Locarno ballroom. For further information, the support band was Slade and the concert was followed by a late nighter by Pink Floyd.
• Liquid Len from Ottawa, CanadaToday, ironically enough, the song directly above this (at #4) is Michael Jackson's Beat It.
• Musicmama from New York, NyBeing a MTF transgender, I do not share the feelings the boy in this song had for his ding-a-ling, mainly because I have never owned a bell in my life. Nonetheless,I love this song--and Monty Python's "Penis Song."
• Chase from Interlachen, Hithis song might be kinda stupid but its to funny to hate it.
• Drew from B'ham, AlWouldn't it be kinda dull if it were a 5-verse song talking about nothing but a body part or a toy with bells? I simply believe that the double-entendre is the main thing that makes it intereting... and humored. If it's all about a penis, what happens to all the such humor?
• Mrcleaveland from Cleveland,Ha haaaaaaaa, this is one of the worst, stupidest, most moronic songs of all time. But Chuck gets a pass since he, along with Bob Dylan, wrote about half of all the hit songs in the first half of the '60s.
• Jack from Paducah, Ky1. So what? It is about a little boy and his willie. Every boy/man has one and has a close personal relationship with it. We each have a little nick name for it and the world is full of alternative terms for them. Willie for example.
  2. The business about the grandmother being involved. It wouldn't be beyond the pall to guess that he and many others like him were raised by their grandma. One failing in African American sub-culture is that boys are usually raised by their mothers and grandmothers with absentee grandfathers. Making it all the more likely that whoever taught him a name for it would not have given it a masculine appellation.
  3. CB knew what he was trying to say, and I don't think it is offensive or sick in any way. Unless of course you are ashamed of your parts. In which case I am sure there is a couch for you somewhere. Anyone who says they've never played with their own is a liar or isn't telling the truth.
  4. I can't believe there are actually people that don't believe this song is about the penis.
• Thomas from Somerville, AlOnly a self rightious idiot would not see the humor and entendere in this song. It's one of Chuckey's best pieces and yes, it is inteded to hint at the male sex organ. Face it. There was no deep dark intent to this song. It's just Ole Chuck at his dirty minded filthy best!
• David from Youngstown, OhThis is perhaps one of the five worst songs of all time. It's easily the stupidest.
• Andy from B'ham, AlFor all u sickos who think it's about the male sex organ, ... Didn't his Gramma buy him his ding-a-ling? If it's about that, what was it? Plastic surgery? Did he use to be a girl? LOL.
  If the song makes sense, two silver bells on a string. That's what his Gramma got him! More comments?
• Tony from Topeka, KsIf you listen to the full version (not the single edit), Berry himself explains that "this also happens to be a sexy song... there's nothing wrong with sex, it's just the way that you handle it, you see," and he makes several obvious sexual references as he teaches the audience how to sing the chorus. There's a transcript here: http://gssq.blogspot.com/2008/03/only-reason-for-being-professional.html
• Kris from Wichita, Kswow bianca your really niave cause it's abbout the male sexual organ. com on people it's not a secret it's just kinda catchy and funny. it's a cute way to talk about it.
• Bianca Sanchez from Alburquerque, NmI agree with Andrew. Who ever thinks it's about a well "dingaling." Are complete pervs. It's abviously about Chuck getting a Gift from his Granmdma, And he takes it everywheres. When the Chior sings, he adds more music. At reccesse He jingles it. You know a favourite toy. Thats all, It's not about. Well you know.
• Musicmama from New York, NyThere's a conservative commentator named Oriana Fallaci. I guess I'm not a conservative because I can't hear her name without tittering.
  
  
  
  
  Anyway, from the first time I heard this song, I knew it could only be about one thing: The Hunchback of Notre Dame. LOL.
• Andrew from Birmingham, United StatesThis song is about a gift Chuck Berry's grandma bought him called a ding-a-ling. A string with two silver bells would be quite fun to play with and could probably confuse a bunch of people - "What's that sound?" You know what else confuses a bunch of people? The lyrics in this song. The way it's worded sounds like a VERY sick-minded pun. Is chuck Berry poking fun at the '70s moral decline? Oh, by the way, since this song is about a toy with bells as a gift from his grandma, and with the instruments and kids' voices as back-up, it sounds as if it should be a Christmas song. Does anyone else get a Christmas present impression?
• Darrell from Eugene, United StatesThis song is DEFINITELY about somebody's willie. It takes a little imagination, but most people will be able to figure it out quickly by either listening to the song or reading the lyrics.
• Mark from Lancaster, OhMost everyone I knew thought it rather sad; an indication of how the energetic and creative Chuck Berry had deteriorated by the 1970's, a time when almost everything seemed to be falling apart.
• Logan from Durham, Nhin one episode of the simpsons, someone sang this at a talent show in a really annoying voice
• Melissa from Happy Place, KsWhen I first heard this, I was about 9 or 10. I thought he was talking about a little bell he liked or something... >_<'
• Andy from Hamilton, Canadahey shut up, Weve all got our own personal dinga-lings, and i like to sing about mine sometimes to.....were did that little F**** go to now......
• Joe from Buffalo, NyI realized this the first time i heard it, but i didn't think thats what it meant. I thought it was actually about a toy,and only someone with a sick mind would think it was about that. I thought it was from too far back to be like that.
• Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, Scfirst time i heard I didn't realize what it was about, until the last verse. He really didn't full anyone with this one.
• Bob from Oakland, CaShell, are you saying Annabelle's comment is a Fallacy? LOL
• John from Fremantle, AustraliaCan't wait for the "uncut" version :P
• Toshio from Kyoto, JapanDingaling means dick. It's sick.
• Eddie from Glencoe, IlDidn't Ralph Wiggum sing this in The Simpsons or something?
• John from Coventry, Uti believ that this was recorded live in coventry england. can anyone confirm this?
• Shell from Riverdale, Ga"Fallace"? Bwahahaha! You won't find that one in the dictionary. You will, however, find "innuendo". Do yourself a favor and read it.
• Bob from Mt. Laurel, NjUh..it's definently not about an actual cute little toy.
• Annabelle from Eugene, OrMy Ding a Ling was actually about a cute little toy, Silver Bells hanging On a String. It was not about a Fallace!
• Dustin from Tampa, FlI remember when i first found my ding-a-ling. What a glorious relationship weve had since
• Brad Wind from Miami, FlOriginally released in 1958 as "My Tambourine."

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