Who's gonna steal the show, you know, baby, it's the guitar man
He can make you love, he can make you cry
He will bring you down, he will get you high
And something keeps him going miles and miles away
To find another place to play
Night after night, who treats you right, baby, it's the guitar man
Who's on the radio, you know, baby, it's the guitar man
When he comes to town and you see his face
And you think you might like to take his place
Something keeps him drifting miles and miles away
Searching for the songs to play
Then you listen to the music and you'd like to sing along
And you want to get the meaning out of each and every song
And you find yourself a message and some words to call your own and take 'em home
He can make you love, he can get you high
He will bring you down, then he'll make, make you cry
Something keeps him moving, but no one seems to know
What it is that makes him go
Then the lights begin to flicker and the sound is getting dim
The voice begins to falter and the crowds are getting thin
But he never seems to notice, he's just got to find another place to play
Fade away (Ah, ah)
Got to play (Ah, ah)
Fade away (Ah, ah)
Got to play (Ah, ah)
(Ah, ah)
(Ah, ah)
(Ah, ah)
(Ah, ah)
Cake is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Daniel McCallum, and drummer Todd Roper. The band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan vocals, and their wide-ranging musical influences, including norteño, country music, mariachi, disco, rock, funk, folk music, and hip hop.
Cake was formed in August of 1991 by McCrea, DiFiore, Greg Brown (guitar), Frank French (drums), and Shon Meckfessel (bass) who soon left and was replaced by Gabe Nelson. Following the self-release of its debut album, Motorcade of Generosity, the band was signed to Capricorn Records in 1995 and released its first single, "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle", which hit number 35 on the Modern Rock Tracks music chart and was featured on MTV's 120 Minutes; French and Nelson then left the band, and were replaced by Todd Roper and Victor Damiani. Cake's second album, 1996's Fashion Nugget, went platinum on the strength of its lead single, "The Distance". Following a tour of Europe and the United States, both Brown and Damiani announced they were leaving Cake, which led to speculation about the band's future; McCrea eventually recruited Xan McCurdy to take over on guitar, and persuaded Nelson to return.
Prolonging the Magic, the band's third album, was released in 1998 and went platinum, having shipped over one million units; this was followed three years later by Comfort Eagle, the band's first album on Columbia Records, featuring the single "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" which hit number 7 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Following a series of tours, including several versions of the Unlimited Sunshine Tour, the band released Pressure Chief in 2004, its second and last album on Columbia. After creating its own label, Upbeat Records, the band released Showroom of Compassion in 2011, which became its first album to debut at the top of the Billboard charts, selling 44,000 copies in the first week after release. Their studio output has been minimal since 2011, although they have continued to tour and have occasionally hinted at an upcoming album.
