Louie Louie

"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists. The song was originally written and performed in the style of a Jamaican ballad; and tells, in simple verse-chorus form, the first-person story of a Jamaican sailor returning to the island to see his lady love.

A recording by The Kingsmen in 1963 is the best-known version. The Kingsmen's edition was also the subject of an FBI investigation about the supposed but non-existent obscenity of the lyrics, an investigation that ended without prosecution. In 1985, comedian Ross Shafer led a movement to make "Louie Louie" the state song of Washington, which failed. The song is ranked #54 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

The song is in A major and uses the rare minor dominant (v) chord, lacking a leading-tone.