He was 18 and wasted Bedroom in the basement Parents' house, Tucson, Arizona What do expect from a high school diploma? Working hours in the shoe store Selling dimes out the back door And he puts on his prom crown Says to his Mama, "I'm the king of this town" Won't you take me out? I hear the midnight streets are calling You can hold me down But like a bird, I'm just free falling Here's to these American nights We're having the time of our lives Living, dreaming, feeling, never sleeping 'Til we see the morning light On these American nights (Hey) ♪ (Hey) Neighborhood kid, just back from the desert Tattoo and a discharge letter VA in the Saint John Six times a week, he still sleeps with his boots on She skipped track up to Brooklyn With a dream and some tanned skin Graveyard at The Rhino This is the place where the stars shine, y'know? Won't you take me out? I hear the midnight streets are calling You can hold me down But like a bird I'm just free falling Here's to these American nights We're having the time of our lives Living, dreaming, feeling, never sleeping 'Til we see the morning light On these American nights ♪ (These American nights) (These American nights) The sky's black in November And nothing good lasts forever 12-gauge heart in a machine-gun town Whole life running, you can't stop now Here's to these American nights We're having the time of our lives Living on a feeling, got a feeling That it's gonna be alright On these American nights (These American nights) (These American nights) (These American nights) (These American nights) On these American nights