Johnny left home, to seek his fame
Small town boy, the streets of LA
A day time waiter, in a night time band
Acting cool, said he was a real man

Couldn't write a song, to save his soul
Ripped off an old tune, said it was his own
Low and behold, in another few days
Five star dinner, that the company pays

Johnny got a motor, Johnny got a guitar
He got a room and a woman to pay
Johnny got a big part, playing in a video
Johnny on the freeway

I said, let's go drink till the beer runs dry
I said, let's go drink till the beer runs dry
You know the girl you want is such a waste of time
American life in the summertime
American life in the summertime got me

Suzie got a rise, at work today
She found the new sound, yeah
Virginity blown, the minimum age
Busy doing nothing, on another man's wages

Blond hair, and mystic eyes
A bottle of pills, and a little on the wild side
Saturday come, and Saturday go
Hangin' out backstage, waiting for the show

Suzie got a motor, Suzie got a guitar
She got a room, that the company pays
A company girl, and company slave
Suzie on the freeway

I said, let's go drink till the beer runs dry
I said, let's go drink till the beer runs dry
You know the girl you want is such a waste of time
American life in the summertime
American life in the summertime got me

You know it breaks my heart to see a nation cloned
By someone else's poetry
They got their backs snapped
By 12 inch pressure of financial bigotry

You know I've still got pride in who I wanna be
I don't wanna be like them, I just wanna be me
A record company clone, not me

I'm still singin'
Sing everything you got
American life in the summertime

I said, let's go drink till the beer runs dry
I said, let's go drink till the beer runs dry
You know the girl you want is such a waste of time
Yeah, yeah, yeah
American life in the summertime
American life in the summertime got me