One Piece at a Time

Johnny Cash

About One Piece at a Time

"One Piece at a Time" is a country novelty song written by Wayne Kemp and recorded by Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three in 1976. It was the last song performed by Cash to reach number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and the last of Cash's songs to reach the Billboard Hot 100, on which it peaked at number 29.


Year:
1997
4:04
77 

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com

Well, I left Kentucky back in forty nine
An' went to Detroit workin' on a 'sembly line
The first year they had me puttin' wheels on Cadillacs

Every day I'd watch them beauties roll by
And sometimes I'd hang my head and cry
'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.

I'd get it one piece at a time
And it wouldn't cost me a dime
You'll know it's me when I come through your town
I'm gonna ride around in style
I'm gonna drive everybody wild
'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
I've 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 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 fifty three
And the motor turned out to be a seventy three
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 adapter 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 everybody laughin' for blocks around
But up there at the court house they didn't laugh
'Cause to type it up it took the whole staff
And when they got through the title weighed sixty pounds.

I got it one piece at a time
And it wouldn't cost me a dime
You'll know it's me when I come through your town
I'm gonna ride around in style
I'm gonna drive everybody wild
'Cause I'll have the only one there is around.

Ugh! Yeah, RED RYDER
This is the COTTON MOUTH
In the PSYCHO-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?

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.

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com


Johnny Cash

John R. "Johnny" Cash (February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003), was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Although he is primarily remembered as a country music icon, his songs and sound spanned many other genres including rockabilly and rock and roll—especially early in his career—as well as blues, folk, and gospel. This crossover appeal led to Cash being inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Gospel Music Hall of Fame. more »

19 fans

Written by: WAYNE KEMP

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Released Year
"One Piece At a Time" was released in 1976 as a song by country music singer-songlywriter, Johnny Cash.
Writing Credit
The song was written by Wayne Kemp, who was also a prolific songwriter in country music.
Chart Success Classification
It became Billboard's number one country hit in both US and Canada. Additionally, it reached number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Album Identification
This song is the title track of Johnny Cash's 1976 album of the same name, "One Piece At A Time".
Storytelling Nature
The song is known for its storytelling style, providing a humorous account of a man who builds his own car by stealing parts from the assembly line at a General Motors car factory.
Musical Genre Label
As part of the country genre, the song also shows elements of novelty, rockabilly and humor in its storytelling.
Duet Output
Along with Cash's distinctive vocals, the song also features vocals from the female country group The Carter Family, specifically June Carter Cash, his wife.
Animation Adaptation
An animated music video was made for the song in 1976, which aired on pop and country music TV programs, further heightening the song’s popularity.
Cadillac Theme
The song is often related to Cadillac due to the lyrics that mention the car and how the protagonist uses one part from different model years to build his own custom "psycho-billy Cadillac."
Radio Dialogue
The song, in an unusual move for country music of the 70s, includes a spoken word passage that simulates a conversation between the car owner and a car registration clerk.
Cover Versions
Several other artists have covered the song, including The Waco Brothers, Tweaker, and Chumbawamba.
Unique Song Structure
The song's story progresses over several decades in the lyrics, marking it unique among other compositions.

Discuss the One Piece at a Time Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "One Piece at a Time Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/1754234/Johnny+Cash/One+Piece+at+a+Time>.

    Missing lyrics by Johnny Cash?

    Know any other songs by Johnny Cash? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    One Piece at a Time

    1.9M
    16,298     523

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1976

    Billboard #29


    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    How do you pronounce the name of the American indie band MGMT?
    A managment
    B migmit
    C migemt
    D em gee em tee

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Don't miss Johnny Cash's

    Upcoming Events

    »
    Johnny Cash tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!