I can still re - mem-ber when I bought my first gui-tar.
Re-mem-ber walk-ing from the shop__ to put it proud-ly in my car.
And my fam - 'ly lis-tened fif-ty times to my two-song rep-er-toire.
I told my Mom her on - ly son was gon - na be a star.____

Well, I bought all the Bea - tle re-cords, I sound-ed just like Paul.
I bought all the old Chuck Ber-ry's, sev-en-ty eights and all.
And I sat by my re-cord play-er, play - ing ev-'ry note they played.
I watched them all on T. V., I cop-ied ev-'ry move they made.

Oh___ rock and roll, I gave__ you all the best years of my life.
All the dream-y, sun-ny Sun-days, all the moon-lit sum-mer nights.
I was so bus-y in the back room writ-ing love songs to you,
while you were chang-ing your di - rec-tion,
and you nev-er e-ven knew that I was al-ways 
just one____ step____ be - hind___ you._______ 

Well, sixty-six seemed like the year I was really going somewhere;
I was living in San Francisco wearin' flowers in my hair,
Singing songs of kindness so the world would understand,
The guys and me thought we were more than just another band.

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 you never
Even knew that I was always just one step behind you. 

Seventy-one I was all alone when I met Sarah Jane,
I was trying to go it solo with someone else's band,
And she came up to me softly andshe took me by the hand;
She listened to my problems and she seemed to understand.

Rock and roll, I gave you all the best years of 
My life, all the dreamy, sunny Sundays, all the 
Moonlite summer nights; And though I never
Knew the magic of making it with you,I thank 
The Lord with my country songs, doin' what I'm
Gonna do when I was always just one step Behind you.

And she followed me to London to a hundred hotel
Rooms, to a hundred record companies who didn't
Like my tunes; She followed me back to Tennessee
Where she finally made me see I'm just a plain old
Country boy, and that's all I'll ever be. 

Circa 1964
Words & Music by Kevin Johnson