The Heart Of Rock & Roll
Huey Lewis & The News Lyrics


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New York, New York, is everything they say
And no place that I'd rather be
Where else can you do a half a million things
All at a quarter to three

When they play their music, ooh that modern music
They like it with a lot of style
But it's still that same old back beat rhythm
That really, really drives 'em wild

They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating
And from what I've seen I believe 'em
Now the old boy may be barely breathing
But the heart of rock and roll, heart of rock and roll is still beating

LA, Hollywood, and the Sunset Strip
Is something everyone should see
Neon lights and the pretty, pretty girls
All dressed so scantily

When they play their music
That hard rock music
They like it with a lot of flash
But it's still that same old back beat rhythm
That really, really kicks 'em in the

They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating
And from what I've seen I believe 'em
Now the old boy may be barely breathing
But the heart of rock and roll, heart of rock and roll is still beating

Johnny, ow

DC, San Antone and the Liberty Town, Boston and Baton Rouge
Tulsa, Austin, Oklahoma City, Seattle, San Francisco, too
Everywhere there's music, real live music, bands with a million styles
But it's still that some old rock and roll music
That really, really drives 'em wild

They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating
And from what I've seen I believe 'em
Now the old boy may be barely breathing
But the heart of rock and roll, heart of rock and roll is still beating, yeah

In Cleveland




Detroit
Uh, heart of rock and roll

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of "The Heart of Rock & Roll" by Huey Lewis & The News describe New York City as everything that people say it is, explaining that despite its intense pace, there is nowhere else the artist would rather be. He notes that, despite the many things to do in the city, the most important thing to people is modern music, which is driven by a back beat rhythm. The line "the heart of rock and roll is still beating" repeats throughout the song, giving rise to the idea that the spirit of rock and roll is alive and well.


In the second verse, Lewis turns his focus to Los Angeles, Hollywood, and the Sunset Strip. He describes the area's neon lights and beautiful women, saying that when the music starts, everyone begins to dance. He relates that the music is hard rock, with an emphasis on showy style, but it remains driven by that same back beat rhythm.


The chorus repeats through each city mentioned in the song, indicating that no matter where one goes, live music remains the same. The heart of rock and roll is still beating, and the proof is in the million styles of music and live bands. Although the old boy may be barely breathing, Lewis affirms that the heart of rock and roll is still beating.


Line by Line Meaning

New York, New York, is everything they say
New York is as great as everyone says it is


And no place that I'd rather be
There's nowhere else I'd rather be than New York


Where else can you do a half a million things
There are countless things to do in New York


All at a quarter to three
You can do these things until the wee hours of the morning


When they play their music, ooh that modern music
When they play modern music


They like it with a lot of style
They enjoy modern music with a lot of pizazz


But it's still that same old back beat rhythm
Despite the added flair, it's still the same basic rhythm


That really, really drives 'em wild
This basic rhythm is what really gets people excited


They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating
People claim that rock and roll is still alive and well


And from what I've seen I believe 'em
Based on what I've witnessed, I think they're right


Now the old boy may be barely breathing
Rock and roll may not be as popular as it once was


But the heart of rock and roll, heart of rock and roll is still beating
However, the spirit of rock and roll is still alive


LA, Hollywood, and the Sunset Strip
Los Angeles and its famous landmarks


Is something everyone should see
A place that everyone should visit


Neon lights and the pretty, pretty girls
Glitzy lights and attractive women


All dressed so scantily
Dressed in revealing clothing


That hard rock music
Heavy, intense music


They like it with a lot of flash
They prefer hard rock music with a lot of spectacle


But it's still that same old back beat rhythm
Despite the added spectacle, it's still the same basic rhythm


That really, really kicks 'em in the
This basic rhythm really gets the crowd going


Johnny, ow
Outburst of enthusiasm


DC, San Antone and the Liberty Town, Boston and Baton Rouge
Different cities with their own music scenes


Tulsa, Austin, Oklahoma City, Seattle, San Francisco, too
More cities with unique musical identities


Everywhere there's music, real live music, bands with a million styles
There's an abundance of live music, with bands of all kinds


But it's still that some old rock and roll music
Despite the variety, classic rock and roll still holds a special place


That really, really drives 'em wild
This classic rock and roll music still gets people excited


In Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio


Detroit
Detroit, Michigan


Uh, heart of rock and roll
An exclamation about the power of rock and roll




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Huey Lewis, John Victor Colla

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@marcgambone4240

At 44 years old I'm just realizing that Huey Lewis has been in the background of my entire life and I didn't know how much I love their music until now

@truthcantbesilenced4533

LOL

@florianhenry6698

That's the power of love bro

@williamwood5502

Same here at 47

@AldenRDavis

Power of 80s music shall never fade away.

@smog-097

It's always that sax solo ... :)

@truthcantbesilenced4533

America did make some things before it went to shit lol

@shanecook7280

Puts me is such a great mood . We had some good music .

@zaheerahshareef8131

Facts

@carlosalbertoteschguimarae9263

Nunca, never!

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