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