Johnny left home to seek his fame
Small town boy, the streets of L.A.
daytime 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 [bad word] 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

Let's go drink till the [bad word] dry
I said let's go drink till the [bad word] 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 - Johnny on the freeway
Virginity blown, the minimum age
Busy doing nothing, on another man's wages

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

Suzie got a motor, Suzie got a guitar
She got a room that [bad word] pays
 [bad word] girl and [bad word] slave
Suzie on the freeway

Let's go drink till the [bad word] dry
I said let's go drink till the [bad word] 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 
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
[bad word] clone, not me
I'm still singin'
Sing everything you guys
American life in the summertime

I said let's go drink till the [bad word] dry
I said let's go drink till the [bad word] dry
You know the girl you want is such a waste of time
Yeah, yeah, yeah
American life in the summertime...