Old Rock 'n' Roller

Bob Dylan - Old Rock 'n' Roller - Hamburg, Germany, 3 July 1990

Only live performance (Bob Dylan Official Website)

Written by Charlie Daniels, Jack Gavin, Charlie Hayward & Taz DiGregorio

Performed by Bob Dylan at Stadtpark, Hamburg, D, July 3, 1990, 

and Sporthalle, Linz, A, Jun 15, 1991

Bob Dylan Roots

Dylan's version introduced by him with the words: 

“In case you're wondering what happens to people like me, here's a song to tell about it”.
Eyolf Østrem, Dylan Chords

He's just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar.
He sings a little flat and he never learned to play the guitar.
But he keeps on belting out them rhythm and blues,
"Long Tall Sally" and "Blue Suede Shoes".

He's just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar.

He never faced the fact that he's never gonna be a star

He's just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar.

He had a record in the sixties, it was big enough to go Top Ten.
And though he tried and he tried he never could make it happen again.
He's been living twenty years on bourbon and pride.
Jerry Lee went crazy and Elvis died.
Then his third wife left him but he never really thought it would last.
And now she ain't nothing but another little blast from the past.

But sometimes at night when the music and crowd's having fun,
He steps up on the mike with a gleam in his eye and once again he's twenty-one.
And then it's "Be-Bop-A-Lula" and "Heartbreak Hotel" and "That'll Be The Day"
Then the Sweet Bird of Youth just flies away.

He's an earthbound eagle that never did learn to fly.
He ain't never gonna make it but he sure did give it a try.
So go dye your hair and turn the music up loud,
And when it's time to go at least you'll go down proud.
You ain't never gonna be nothing but what you are --
Just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar,
Just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar.

Also from the July 3rd, 1990 concert: No More One More Time