This song is played by playing the root notes and then the 5ths in a bluegrass sort of style.
The verse is A, so you play A (E - 5th fret) to Open E
The Chorus is A (E 5th fret to Open E), D (A 5th Fret to Open A) and E (A 7th Fret to E
7th Fret). So A-E, D-A, E-B will be your roots and fifths.
Chorus
G|---------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------5-0-5-0---------7---5-0--------|
E|-5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0-5--0---------5-0-5-0---7-----5-0-5-0|
Verse
G|------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------|
E|-5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/c/chuck_berry/maybellene_btab.html ]
A
Maybellene, why can't you be true
D7 A
Oh, Maybellene, why can't you be true
E7 D7 A
You've started back doin' the things you used to do
Verse 1:
As I was motivatin' over the hill
I saw Maybellene in a Coupe de Ville
Cadillac rollin' on the open road
Nothin' outruns my V-8 Ford
Cadillac doin' 'bout 95
Bumper-to-bumper, rollin' side by side
(chorus)
Cadillac rolled up ahead of the Ford
The Ford got hot, wouldn't do no more
It soon got cloudy and it started to rain
I tooted my horn for the passing lane
Rain was pourin' under my hood
I knew that was doin' my motor good
(chorus)
(instrumental, same pattern as chorus)
(chorus)
Motor cooled down, the heat went down
That's when I heard that highway sound
The Cadillac sittin' like a ton of lead
110 half a mile ahead
The Cadillac looked like it was sittin' still
I caught Maybellene at the top of the hill
