Rock N' Roll Infatuation

Well it all started back there with the Delta Blues

Then Elvis got into it with them “Blue Suede Shoes”

Bill Haley jumped in with “Rock Around The Clock”

And pretty soon we were all doin’ that cool-cat rock

Jerry Lee Lewis did “Whole Lot of Shakin’” real fine

Johnny Cash showed up with “I Walk the Line”

Carl Perkins picked out with his rockabilly taunt

Doin’ one of his songs called, “Oh Honey Don’t”

The music caught fire and it burned to the soul

The radio stations started playin’ that rock n’ roll

Everybody was jumpin’ to that rockabilly beat

Outraged preachers called it “sinning in the streets!”

Buddy Holly rocked out with “Pretty Peggy Sue”

Roy Orbison was there writing good songs too

We thrilled to the Big Bopper on “Chantilly Lace”

And watched Elvis shake his hips all over the place

Then there was that cold night in an Iowa town

When weather and mistakes took a small plane down

We heard Holly, Valens, and Richardson were inside

Some still say that was the day the music died

Ricky Nelson swooned all the girls with “It’s Late”

While Floyd Cramer’s piano shined playing “Last Date”

The Beach Boys wrote a song called, “I Get Around”

And the Everly Brothers harmonized on “Cathy’s Clown”

American Bandstand on TV; Dick Clark’s into the groove

An afternoon dance party on the black & white tube

Lots of kids from Philly dancing the bop to all that jive

Fabian, Avalon, Anka, and Darin performing songs live

Soon the kids were dancing the Jerk, Jump, and Slide

Some did the Watusi to “Jenny Take a Ride”

Mashed Potatoes, Hully Gully, Chubby Checker’s Twist

Chubby had a little dance and it goes like this

And then came Motown joining in to the rock scene

With Wilson, Gaye, Little Anthony, and the Supremes

Motown brought some mellow and mixed it with the Roll

Then added James Brown funk and Otis Redding soul

The Righteous Brothers had that “Blue-Eyed Soul” sound

And a Brit named Petula took us all “Downtown”

Wilson Pickett crooned madly about that “Midnight Hour”

Bobby Darin was “Splish-Splashin” in the bath not the shower

Soon came The Beatles in their Nehru suits

With funny haircuts, short pants, and shoe- like boots

They turned music on its head; took it to the extreme

And stayed around longer than their yellow submarine

Then came the Rolling Stones, another bunch of Brits

Whose music caught on with that “Start Me Up” bit

Dave Clark, The Animals, and others on the radio station

America was just a rockin’ to a new British Invasion

So it was as time ticked slowly along the clock

Rock n’ Roll evolved and it just never did stop

Today there is more styles than one can name

A broad range of music but rock n’ roll just the same

So here’s to the music of those bygone 60’s years

Where hip-shakin’ mamas light off a fire of sinful fears

And a thumpin’, bumpin’, guitar with a bass-bottom beat

Got us up off our butts and out dancin’ in the street

©Copyright WBrown2012. All Rights Reserved.

20 December 2012