That Guy From the Arcade

[Verse] Back in nineteen-eighty-one, On the corner by the mall, There was a dark and dingy arcade With peeling paint along the wall. The carpet smelled like old soda, The neon signs would flicker and fade, And that's where I first saw him On a battered old arcade. Just a little pixel fellow, Running underneath the beams, Dodging trouble, climbing ladders, Living in sixteen-color dreams. [Chorus] And I can't believe that guy from the arcade Is a Hollywood star today. I remember when he lived inside a cabinet Down where the quarters used to play. Now he's on billboards and magazine covers, Everybody knows his face. I still see that little plumber In that dusty old forgotten place. [Verse] Nobody talked about blockbusters, Nobody thought he'd rule the world. He was just another character Trying to save a certain girl. The graphics weren't much to look at, The sound was little more than noise, But somehow every kid in town Wanted to be that guy. We'd line up with our pockets full Of tokens and hopeful hearts, Never thinking we were watching The beginning of a superstar. [Chorus] And I can't believe that guy from the arcade Is a Hollywood star today. I remember when he lived inside a cabinet Down where the quarters used to play. Now he's on posters and red carpets, Standing center stage. I still see that little plumber In that dusty old forgotten place. [Bridge] The arcade's gone now, The building got torn down. The machines disappeared Without a sound. But every now and then When the lights go low, I hear those old electronic echoes From so long ago. [Final Chorus] And I can't believe that guy from the arcade Is a Hollywood star today. From a handful of pixels To a legend everybody knows by name. The world got bigger, The years rolled by, But some dreams never fade. And I'll always remember That little plumber From the arcade. [Outro] The screens got brighter, The stories grew, The whole world came along. But in my mind, He's still there— Waiting for another quarter And another song.