Well, it started out way down south
Took a left and headed on out
It was movin' along very slowly
'Cause it was travelin' by word of mouth
Made a short stop in New Orleans
Then it headed for the New York scene
and the people there, they dug on air
'Cause they found out just what it means, yeah to have...
Rock and roll music, sweet groovy music
Well, it's the only kind of music
That reaches right to your soul
Here come a guitar-pickin' fella
And he took them by the hand
He said "Now, listen to me, everybody
I got a message that you gotta understand"
And then he took that brand-new music
And he let it cross the U.S. of A.
And now some folks laughed when they heard that sound
But it looks like it's here to stay, and they call it rock
Rock and roll music
Rock and roll music
Rock and roll music
Talkin' 'bout rock and roll, I like rock and roll, yeah
Long live rock and roll, yeah, talkin' 'bout rock and roll
Rock and roll, sweet groovy music