What Did They Do Before Rock & Roll Songtext
von Paul Petersen

Say, Dad
(Mmm, yes kids)
We′d like to have a heart-to-heart talk
(Oh-oh, have you spoken to your mother yet?)
No, Dad, we wanna ask you
(Well, I guess you're both old enough)
What we wanna know is

What did they do before rock ′n' roll? (ah-ha)
How'd they ever make it
Bless my soul
All day long they had to listen to (ah-ha)
(My time is your time)

What did they do before Elvis Pee (ah-ha)
Fabian and Avalon and Brenda Lee?
All they heard on the radio was
(May the blue of the light, make the buh-buh-buh-boom)


I found some ancient records (ah-doo-wah)
From nineteen-forty-five (ah-doo-wah)
I put a couple on the phonograph (laughed)
Laughed ha-ha-ha-ha ha-ha
Oh well, I thought I′d die

Now, let me tell you, Dad
It was an awful sound
To hear what twenty-seven cats
Were puttin′ down
I couldn't believe my ears
It was a shock to me
′Cause all that they were playin'
Was the melody

They had a thing called swing
They didn′t have no beat
That rikki-tikki music never move my feet
And then I played your records
Strangest thing I heard
I know you'll think I′m goofy
But I'm pretty swerve

They didn't twang guitars
I meant like it was sad
And tell me
What′s a Hugo Winterhalter, Dad?


Oh well, I felt so poor
For those old time souls (ah-ha)
They never had the benefit
Of rock ′n' roll
All they heard on the radio was (ah-ha)
(Doo-fal-dee-ooh, boop-boop-pee-doo, ooh)

Oh, no!