The All American Boy
"The All American Boy" is a 1958 talking blues song written and sung by Bobby Bare, but credited by Fraternity Records to Bill Parsons, with songwriting credit to Bill Parsons and Orville Lunsford. While Bare was in the army, Parsons lip synced the record on television. The song was co-written by Ralph Edward Hogsten, who also performed bass on the recording. However, he was uncredited. Chart performance. The song reached number 2 on the Billboard chart, (It was kept from the number one spot, by "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" by The Platters). Overseas, "The  All American Boy" went to number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. It made the top 10 in Australia. Popular culture. The song was inspired by the success and then conscription of Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Thus, the "Pop Chronicles" music documentary used it as the theme song for its episodes focused on Presley. The song ends with the narrator getting drafted into the US Army. This song makes reference to the Chuck Berry song, "Johnny B. Goode", as well as the television show, "American Bandstand".