Story Behind The Song

An ode to big old American cars and how they touched one family

Song Description

Rock and roll in the spirit of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Hank Snow, Buddy Holly, Gram Parsons, Gordon Lightfoot, Brian Setzer, Calexico, Los Lobos, The Bodeans, The Blasters

Lyrics

BIG OLD AMERICAN CARS (Ray Harris May 5/2012)

Key A
[ NO HARMONIES IN FIRST VERSE ]
I
I rode in one on the day I was born ­/ Big Old American Car,
Dad had a '55 Mainline Ford ­/ a Big Old American Car,
IV
Skirts, chrome stars and continental spare ­/ Big Old American Car,
V I
A Thunderbird engine that'd get you there ­/ Big Old American Car.
VERSE 2
My grandfather had a wrecking yard, full of ­Big Old American Cars,
Cut 'em up by the thousands for scrap and parts ­Big Old American Cars,
If only he'd saved a few dozen or so, of those ­Big Old American Cars,
He could have died rich, but he didn't wanna know, about those ­Big Old American Cars.

CHORUS: IV Cars nowadays all looks the same,
I You can't tell year, make, model, or name,
IV It just ain't right if you know what I'm sayin'
I I like Big Old ( vi ) American Cars...( V ) Big Old American Cars.

My uncle lost a finger workin' on a ­Big Old American Car,
That '47 Buick had a mind of its own, a ­Big Old American Car,
My brother worked on Hondas most of his life, instead of ­Big Old American Cars,
But on her last birthday he bought his wife, a ­Big Old American Car.

REPEAT CHORUS
SOLO: V V IV I 3x V V IV V

Now it's a sad day, but it's come to pass, for ­Big Old American Cars,
Gotta be a millionaire to pay for the gas, in a ­Big Old American Car,
But if I close my eyes I can feel and smell, those Big Old American Cars,
And the hearse that hauls my ass to heaven or hell, will be a ­Big Old American Car.
Big Old American Car 4x