Right through the middle of our town
A two lane, two way highway comes rollin' down
It used to be quite busy around here
But then they put a mall out there
And the freeway came last year
Nobody stops here anymore, they're only passing through
There's nothing much to look at
And there's nothing here to do
Just an old newspaper blowin' at my feet
Down on main street
Old Mr. Arnold finally sold the store
He started out on main street back before the war
He says business wasn't booming anyway
He says he and that old neighborhood
Have seen their better days
But he remembers how it was in 1945
When they marched out all the boys who made it home alive
And the girls were throwin' roses at their feet
Down on main street
Down on main street they're sellin memories real low
Goin' out of business – everything must go
Like old forgotten faces without names
The storefronts and the sidewalks
And the boarded window frames
And there's the corner record store
Where I discovered rock n' roll so many hears before
And I listen for the sound
I listen for the rhythm in the heart of this old town
I listen for the slow and steady beat
Down on main street
