Well Nashville had country music but Memphis had the soul Lord, the white boy had the rhythm and that started rock and roll And I was here when it happened don't you all think I ought to know I was here when it happened, yeah, yeah, yeah I watched Memphis give birth to rock and roll, lord, lord yeah.
Well the cat named Elvis be-bopped in to Sun right off the street Sang \"Blue Moon of Old KY\" but he did it with a brand new beat Guess he sought him a sleeping world and out there by surprise Jacked 'em up, he wrang them out and he hung 'em out to dry I was there when it happened, don't you all think I ought to know, lord, lord Yeah I was here when it happened I watched Memphis give birth to rock and roll Here's kinda the way it happened
Well the drummer boy was a-beatin' on the drums a rockin' and a goin' wild The real city slicker was clickin' and clackin' and doin' it in a different style Guitar strumming a beat and a pumpin' and the lead man picking out the blues Hip-shaking singer was a swinging and a swinging singing somethin' 'bout blue suede shoes And I was here when it happened, lord I think I ought to know, yeah, yeah Folks I was here when it happened I watched memphis give birth to rock and roll What you think about it little guitar cmon son
Some folks called it the devil's music others said it wouldn't last long 31 years since we started shakin' proves somebody was wrong In '64, the Beatles and the four were rock and rolls best friends The Beatles and the Stones brought the old beat home And the world went crazy again I was here when it happened My friend I think I ought to know, yeah , yeah Well I was there when it happened I watched Memphis give birth to rock and roll Lord yeah, cmon