"Give 'Em Rhythm" lyrics

When I was a young girl
Growing up in Kokomo
My brother came down with a fever one winter
Times were hard and cold
Mama called up the doctor
But she couldn't get him on the line
When an old black man who was peddling wares
Happened to stop by
Took one look and did a little soft shoe
Told my mama here's what to do

Give 'em rhythm
A little rhythm every day
Give 'em rhythm
It'll chase those blues away

When I was a little older
I heard some music on the radio
A dark-haired man from Memphis, Tennessee
Doing a thing called rock and roll
Sideburns black and in a pink Cadillac
Driving all the young girls mad
Slacked-back bass and "Blue Suede Shoes"
It was a feeling like I never had
Some folks didn't quite agree
He only had one philosophy

You give 'em rhythm
A little rhythm every day
Give 'em rhythm
It'll chase those blues away

Rhythm can make the world a little brighter
Rythm can make the load a little lighter
Give 'em rhythm, yeah
Give 'em rhythm
Rhythm can help your worries disappear
If you can feel them coming around here
Give 'em rhythm
Give 'em rhythm

Now I make my living on the highway
With the boys in the band on a bus
We get a white-line fever
When the wheels are turning
Burning from dawn to dusk
Sometimes the road gets rocky
Sometimes the road gets rough
There's hills to climb
And the engine whines
But it don't bother us
We may get weary and tired
But when the spotlight hits us
We're back on fire

We give 'em rhythm
A little rhythm every day
Give 'em rhythm
It'll chase those blues away