Rock And Roll (I gave the best years of my life)
Mac Davis
I can still remember
When I bought my first guitar,
Remember just how good the feeling
To put it proudly in my car,
And my fam'ly listened fifty times
To my two song repertoire.
I told my mom
Her only son was gonna be a star.
Bought all the Beatles records,
I sounded just like Paul,
I bought all the old Chuck Berry's 78's and all
I sat by my record player
Playing ev'ry note they played.
I watched them all on TV
Making ev'ry move they made.
Rock and roll, I gave you all
The best years of my life
All the dreamy sunny Sundays,
All the moonlit summer nights.
I was so busy in the backroom
Writing love songs to you
While you were changing your direction
And you never even knew
That I was always just one step behind you.
'66 seemed like the year
I was really going somewhere;
We were living in San Francisco
BR With flowers in our hair,
BR Singing songs of kindness
BR So the world would understand,
BR To the guys and me you were something more
BR Than just another band.
BR
BR And then sixty-nine in L. A.
BR Came around so soon,
BRWe were really making headway
BRAnd writing lots of tunes,
BRAnd we must have played
BRThe wildest stuff that we had ever played,
BRAnd the way the crowds cried out for us,
BRWe thought we had it made.
BR
BRRock and roll, I gave you all
BRThe best years of my life,
BRAll the crazy, lazy, young days,
BRAll the magic moon at night.
BRI was so busy on the road
BRSinging love songs to you,
BRwhile you were changing your direction
BRAnd you never even knew
BRThat I was always just one step behind you.
BR
BRSeventy-one and so alone
BRWhen I met Susanne,
BRI was trying to go it solo
BRWith someone else's band.
BRShe came up to me later
BRAnd I took her by the hand,
BRAnd I told her all my troubles
BRAnd she seemed to understand.
BR
BRAnd she followed me through London
BRThrough a hundred hotel rooms,
BRThrough a hundred record companies
BRWho didn't like my tunes;
BRShe followed me when finally
BRI sold my old guitar,
BRShe tried to help me
BRUnderstand I'd never be a star.
BR
BRRock and roll, I gave you
BRAll the best years of my life,
BRAll the dreamy, sunny Sundays,
BRAll the moonlit summer nights,
BRAnd though I never knew
BRThe magic of making it with you,
BRThat I thank the Lord for giving me
BRThe little bit I knew,
BRAnd I was always just one step behind you.
BR
BR
