Lyrics:

You know, I remember a few years ago
Some funny things used to happen to me
About 1956-57

At that time there was no blues scene
Or not really any kind of scene in London
I used to go out and play my guitar in the streets
And sing things with passing my hat down

I remember one particular night
I was playing the guitar in a little alleyway
Just off of Wardour Street in Soho
And I got busted by the police

This policeman come up and dragged me and my guitar
And my hat full of pennies off to the police station

Anyway, the next day
I had to appear in Marlboro Street Police Court
And it was quite a day
Police officer giving his evidence

I was proceeding in a southernly direction, mi-lord
When I heard strange sounds
Coming from Wardour Place, mi-lord
A sort of boogie woogie music was being played

On further investigation, I saw the defendant
Standing there with a guitar and an old hat
On the floor collecting pennies
Well, I decided that he was contravening

A breach of the peace there, as there was
A traffic jam about five miles long down Wardour Street
Wondering what all the fuss was about

So then I arrested the defendant
Ah, just one moment, officer
Well, what is this boogie woogie music
Here we're talking about?

'Oh, well, mi-lord', said the officer
Getting out his notebook, obviously
Been doing up his homework
It's a kind of jazz-rhythm music
Peculiar to the American-Negro

Oh, and what was the defendant doing
Playing this kind of music there in Wardour street?

Anyway I got off with a caution
A years conditional discharge
But I'll always remember that policeman
And his boogie woogie music
So don't try to lay no boogie woogie
On the king of rock and roll

Don't tell me nothing, don't lies, a woman
'Cause all you know I've told
Don't sell me no alibis, sister
'Cause all you've got I've sold

You better leave at a-midnight slinking
To the one who works it out
I don't want to hear no rackem-tackem squeaking
To go on and shut your mouth

And everything is gonna work out tight
If you ain't like you been told
Just don't try to lay no boogie woogie
On the king of rock and roll

Don't feed me no TV dinners
When you know that I'm used to steak
I don't need no rank beginners
When it's time to shake the shake

You better pull your thing together
'Cause you've been bested out
And if you feel that you just can't dig it
You know you don't know what it's all about

It ain't a matter of par convenience
That's gonna justify your soul
Just don't try to lay no boogie woogie
On the king of rock and roll

Don't try to lay no boogie woogie
On the king of rock and roll

You and I started to drive
So don't pull nothing on me
You didn't arrive till late '45
But your head's in '53

You got what it takes, give your heads a spin
Down by the lonely shack
But you come on just like a fool woman
In the back of a red Cadillac

You can't come across the Upsalquitch
Until you pay the toll
So don't try to lay no boogie woogie
On the king of rock and roll