I can still remember when I bought my first guitar
Remember just how good the feeling was, put it proudly in my car
And my family listened fifty times to my two songs repertoire

And I told my mom her only son was gonna be a star
Bought all the Beatles records, sounded just like Paul
Bought all the old Chuck Berry's, 78's and all

And I sat by my record player, playing every note they played
And I watched them all on TV, making every move they made
Rock and Roll I gave you all the best years of my live

All the dreamin' sunny Sundays, all the moonlit summer night
I was busy in the backroom writing love songs to you
While you were changing your direction and never even knew that I was always one step behind you


'66 Seems like the year I was really going somewhere
We were living in San Francisco with flowers in our hair

Singing songs of kindness so the world would understand that the guys and me were something more than just another band
And then '69 in L.A. came around so soon
We were really making headway and writing a lots of tunes

And we must have played the wildest stuff we had ever played
And the way the crowds cried out for us, well, we thought we had it made
Rock and roll I gave you all the best years of my life

All the crazy lazy young days, all the magic moon at night
I was so busy on the road singing love songs to you
While you were changing your direction and never even knew that I was always one step behind you


'71 in Soho when I saw Suzanne
I was trying to go it solo with someone else's band

She came up to me lately, took her by the hand
I told her all my troubles and she seemed to understand
And she followed me through London, through the hundred hotel rooms

Through a hundred record companies, who didn't like my tune
And she followed me when finally I sold my old guitar
And she tried to help me understand, I never been a star


Rock and Roll I gave you all the best years of my live
All the dreamin' sunny Sundays, all the moonlit summer night

And though I never knew the magic of makin' it with you
I thank the road for giving me the little bit I knew
Rock and Roll I gave you all the best years of my live

All the dreamin' sunny Sundays, all the moonlit summer night
I was busy in the backroom writing love songs to you
While you were changing your direction and never even knew

Rock and roll I gave you all the best years of my life
All the crazy lazy young days, all the magic moon at night
I was so busy on the road...