Song information On this page you can find the lyrics of the song All American Boy, artist - Bobby Bare. Album song 20 Greatest Hits, in the genre Кантри
Date of issue: 30.06.2009
Record label: Gusto
Song language: English
All American Boy |
Gather 'round cats and I’ll tell you a story |
'bout how to become an all-American Boy. |
Just buy you a guitar and put it in tune |
And you’ll be a rockin and a rollin soon. |
Impressin the girls, hittin hot licks, and all that jazz. |
I bought me a guitar about a year ago and I Learned how to play it in a day or so. |
And all around town it was well understood |
That I was knocking 'em out like Johnny B. Goode. |
Hot licks, showing off, ah, number one. |
Well I practiced all day and up into the night, |
My papa’s hair was a gettin kinda white. |
He didn’t dig that, ah, rock and roll. |
He said, «You can stay boy, but that’s gotta go.» |
He’s a square; |
just didn’t dig me at all. |
So I packed my guitar, picks and all, and I said farewll to my poor old pa. |
I split for Memphis where they say 'you all' |
And them swinging cats are a havin a ball. |
Yeah, they love me down there, guitar picks and all. |
I was rocking and bopping and getting all the breaks, |
And the girls all said that I had what it takes, |
When up steps a man with a big cigar. |
He said. |
«Come here, kid. |
I’m gonna make you a star.» |
Put you on «Bandstand', buy you a cadillac. |
Sign here, kid.» |
So I signed my name and became a star, having a ball with my guitar. |
Driving a big, long cadillac. |
And fighting the girls off’n my back. |
But they just keep a comin, screaming, they love it. |
So I picked my guitar with a great big grin |
And the money just kept on rollin in. |
And then one day my Uncle Sam said (thump, thump, thump) «here I am! |
Uncle Sam needs you, boy. |
Gimme that guitar. |
Take this rifle. |
Yeahhhh — gonna |
cut your hair off…. |
A letter from Don Powell |
Most of your lyrics are on the money — I merely cleared up a few that you |
Apparently couldn’t distinguish from the record. |
I backed Bobby with guitar on the original cut for All American Boy. |
I was playing in R&R band in Dayton, |
Ohio when one night Bobby and his manager showed up. |
They had a few beers, |
introduced themselves on a break and asked if we would be interested in backing Bobby on a novelty song about Elvis being drafted into the army. |
We practiced the song the next day, a Sunday, drove to Cincinatti on Monday, |
and cut the record in King Studios there. |
The third try was a take and became |
the song which became a hit. |
The band was given the option of taking a percentage of record sales, assuming it could be marketed and did well; |
or we could receive 'session fee', which was about $ 35.00/person. |
without exception the band members (all five of us) took the $ 35.00. |
You can imagine our surprise (and delight) to hear the song being played on the radio all over Ohio and the whole midwest. |
The reason for the confusion re Bobby’s name not appearing on the Fraternity |
label, who bought pressing and distribution rights, was that two weeks prior to the recording, Bobby, ironically, had been drafted and knew that he would not |
be able to promote the song by touring or personal appearances. |
His best friend, |
Bill Parsons, was allowed to assume Bobby’s role, and Bill actually did record |
the flip side of AAB with a jazzed up version of Rubber Dolly. |
When the record |
hit, Bobby was in boot camp in the army, and I and the band (now called the «All American Boys») went on tour of the midwest with Bill Parsons, |
playing at small to medium venues in clubs and auditoriums from Detroit to St. |
Louis. |
But it could not be pulled off. |
Bill Parsons was no Bobby Bare and the |
we soon faded back into obscurity, playing at neighborhood bars in Dayton, Ohio. |
Bobby was a true-born, gifted singer and songwriter with the magic ability to be at one with an audience. |
He was truly one of a kind. |
I will be happy to share any experiences and anecdotes re Bobby with you should |
you desire. |
DGP |