[Verse 1]
He's just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar
And he sings a little flat and he never learned to play the guitar
But he keeps on belting out them rhythm and blues
"Long Tall Sally" and "Blue Suede Shoes"
He just can't accept the fact he's never gonna be a star
He's just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar

[Verse 2]
He had a record in the '60s, it was big enough to go Top Ten
And though he tried and he tried, he never could make it happen again
He's been living twenty years on bourbon and pride
Jerry Lee went country and Elvis died
Then his third wife left him but he never really thought it would last
And now she ain't nothing but another little blast from the past

[Bridge]
But sometimes late on a Saturday night when the crowd's out having fun
He steps up to the mike with a gleam in his eye
And once again he's twenty-one
And then it's "Be-Bop-A-Lula" and "Heartbreak Hotel"
And "That'll Be the Day"
But then the sweet bird of youth just flies away

[Verse 3]
He's an earthbound eagle that never did learn how to fly
He ain't ever gonna make it but he sure did give it a try
So go dye your hair and turn the music up loud
When it's time to go, at least you'll go down proud
You ain't never gonna be nothing but what you are
Just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar

[Outro]
Just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar