First Drafts of Rock: Summer of '69 (w/ Kevin Bacon) | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

In the 1980s,
rock 'n' roll with a pop edge

was dominating
the Billboard charts,

and the music of Canadian artist
Bryan Adams was no exception,

with the release of his smash
hit "Summer of '69,"

a nostalgic, rocking tune
that would capture a generation

and be revered for decades

to come as a quintessential song
of the summer.

But America never heard
its first draft -- until now.

- I got my first
real six-string

I bought it at the
five-and-dime

I counted it,
and there were six strings

I played it,
and it sounded fine

Door opened,
I heard a little ding-a-ling

Another guy walked in
the five-and-dime

Said he was looking for
a six-string

I said he couldn't have mine

Then we kind of hit it off

We both had
a love for a six-string

I said,
"We should start a band

Maybe we can both play
six-strings"

But this was
the only six-string left

Whoa, yeah

- Maybe we could buy
a 12-string

And have it sawed in two

That way,
we'd have two six-strings

Then I could jam with you,
yeah!

There's one at the
five-and-dime

I think that
we should get it

- Hey, I'll trade in
my first six-string

And use it for store credit

That was the best deal
of my life

- Oh, yeah
- Oh, yeah

- And now we both
play six-strings

That we bought at
the five-and-dime

- You said you don't like
the one that you got

I said that
you can have mine, yeah

- And now we're jamming out

Playing each other's
six-strings

Those were the best years
of our lives

- Oh, yeah

- That was the summer
we switched the strings

Oh, yeah

That was the summer
we switched the strings

Whoa, yeah

That was the summer
we switched the strings

Oh, yeah

It was the summer
we switched the strings