He was raised in a brownstone on West 53rd
Momma called him her little star
Then he left her behind
For the lower east side
Waiting tables and playing in bars
Then he took a call from this A&R man
Saying, "Son, I’m your biggest fan
And I’ve seen the crowds you bring
Every time you sing
You know – you’re gonna be The Next Big Thing"
No sooner did he start
He was top of the chart
Every kid in the land knew his name
It was party time galore
With screaming fans at Momma’s door
And he was basking in the glory and fame
TV shows, radio and magazines
Leer jets and limousines
He said "I don’t have the time to wait in line
Don’t you know that I’m The Next Big Thing?"
I bet you’ve never seen a day more beautiful
I bet you’ve never seen the sky so blue
I bet you never thought that it would happen
To a fool like you
A fool, like you
New music came along
And soon the fans were gone
He was feeling free fall from grace
So he tried to change his style
And it was working for a while
But soon he vanished without trace
Now he’s just a busker down on Bleecker Street
Guess a man’s got to make ends meet
And every once in a while
They’ll toss a dime and smile
And say, "You used to be The Next Big Thing"