Hi,
I am doing some research on early rock and roll for an article. Peter Wicke puts a lot of stock in Berry?s ?Roll over Beethoven? as a beacon of rock and roll?s character but fails to explain the lyrics.
Although the intent of the words ?roll over? is certainly negative, its precise meaning is unclear to me. Is it addressed directly to the dead Beethoven, commanding him to animate his misery by rolling over in the grave? Does ?roll over? mean something like ?surrender your supremacy Beethoven and accept the change,? or simply ?change over?? Or does it tell the listeners of the song to ?roll over? or ?stamp out? the legacy of Beethoven? It is possible that more than one meaning was intended?
Thank you for any leads that you can give me.
Exodus
