One Piece At A Time
Words & Music:
Wayne Kemp
As recorded by Johnny Cash
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Bb
Well, I left Kentucky back in
'49 & went to Detroit workin' on a 'sembly line.
C
F
The first year they had me
puttin' wheels on Cadillacs.
F
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Every day I'd watch them
beauties roll by & sometimes I'd hang my head and cry.
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'Cause I always wanted me one
that was long and black.
One day I devised myself a
plan that should be the envy of most any man:
I'd sneak it out of there in a
lunchbox in my hand.
Now, gettin' caught meant
gettin' fired.
But, I figured I'd have it all
by the time I retired,
I'd have me a car worth at
least a hundred grand.
CHORUS:
F
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I'd get it one piece at a time
& it wouldn't cost me a dime.
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You'll know it's me when I
come through your town.
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I'm gonna ride around in
style, I'm gonna drive ever'body wild.
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'Cause I'll have the only one
there is around.
So, the very next day when I
punched in
With my big lunchbox and with
help from my friends.
I left that day with a lunch
box full of gears.
Now, I never considered myself
a thief,
But, GM wouldn't miss just one
little piece.
Especially if I strung it out
over several years.
The first day I got me a fuel
pump.
And the next day I got me an
engine and a trunk.
Then I got me a transmission
and all of the chrome.
The little things I could get
in my big lunchbox.
Like nuts, an' bolts, and all
four shocks.
But the big stuff we snuck out
in my buddy's mobile home.
Now, up to now my plan went
all right,
'Til we tried to put it all
together one night.
And that's when we noticed
that something was definitely wrong.
The transmission was a '53 and
the motor turned out to be a '73.
And when we tried to put in
the bolts all the holes were gone.
So, we drilled it out so that
it would fit,
And with a little bit of help
with an Adaptor Kit,
We had that engine runnin'
just like a song.
Now, the headlight' was
another sight;
We had two on the left and one
on the right.
But, when we pulled out the
switch all three of 'em come on.
The back end looked kinda
funny, too.
But, we put it together and
when we got through
Well, that's when we noticed
that we only had one tail-fin.
About that time my wife walked
out
And I could see in her eyes
that she had her doubts.
But, she opened the door and
said "Honey, take me for a spin."
So, we drove up town just to
get the tags
And I headed her right on down
main drag.
I could hear ever'body
laughin' for blocks around.
But up there at the courthouse
they didn't laugh
'Cause to type it up it took
the whole staff.
And when they got through the
title weighed sixty pounds.
CHORUS:
(Spoken) Ugh! Yow, RED RYDER
This is the COTTON MOUTH.
In the PYSCHO-BILLY CADILLAC.
Come on!
Huh, This is the COTTON MOUTH.
And negatory on the cost of
this mow-chine, there, RED RYDER.
You might say I went right up
to the factory
And picked it up, it's cheaper
that way.
Ugh! What model is it?
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C
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Well, It's a '49, '50, '51,
'52, '53, '54, '55, '56, '57, '58' 59' Automobile.
It's a '60, '61, '62, '63,
'64, '65, '66, '67, '68, '69, '70 Automobile.
[continue through the years
& fade out]