One Piece at a Time
Johnny Cash
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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.
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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.
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Writing CreditThe song was written by Wayne Kemp, who was also a prolific songwriter in country music.
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Chart Success ClassificationIt became Billboard's number one country hit in both US and Canada. Additionally, it reached number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Album IdentificationThis song is the title track of Johnny Cash's 1976 album of the same name, "One Piece At A Time".
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Storytelling NatureThe 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.
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Musical Genre LabelAs part of the country genre, the song also shows elements of novelty, rockabilly and humor in its storytelling.
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Duet OutputAlong with Cash's distinctive vocals, the song also features vocals from the female country group The Carter Family, specifically June Carter Cash, his wife.
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Animation AdaptationAn 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.
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Cadillac ThemeThe 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."
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Radio DialogueThe 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.
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Cover VersionsSeveral other artists have covered the song, including The Waco Brothers, Tweaker, and Chumbawamba.
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Unique Song StructureThe song's story progresses over several decades in the lyrics, marking it unique among other compositions.
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Citation
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"One Piece at a Time Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Sep. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/8604738/Johnny+Cash/One+Piece+at+a+Time>.
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