D-18 SONG (THANK YOU, MR. MARTIN)
(Jerry Faires)
(As recorded by Norman Blake on "Norman Blake & Tony Rice 2," 1990)

In a pawnshop in Odessa in the fall of '64,
The pawnshop man was leaving; he was locking up the door.
I ran up just in time and I hollered through the screen:
"Hey, man, you got any good guitars in here?" He said, "I got this D-18."

So I gave him a hundred dollars and I took that sucker home.
I cleaned it up and strung it, hit a chord, and heard that tone.
It was crisp and clean, rich and full, all a guitar ought to be.
I said, "Thank you, Mr. Martin; you made this D-18 for me."

CHORUS: I said, "Thank you, Mr. Martin; I'm all right,
'Cause once again this old guitar helped me through the night.
I'm mighty grateful to you; you know how to make 'em right."
I said, "Thank you, Mr. Martin; I'm all right."

If I'm feeling down and worthless and I haven't got a dime,
Wondering if I spent my life just wasting my time,
I pick up that old guitar, some paper, and a pen.
I say, "Thank you, Mr. Martin; you saved my life again."

I've written songs about my lovers, my family, and my friends,
My wife and child, my old home place, and the road that never ends,
Heroes, hobos, rock 'n' roll, and a honky-tonk queen.
I wrote 'em all without exception on my Martin D-18.

CHORUS AGAIN

Now, it was made way back in '43 when I was just a kid.
I believe it's about the best thing Mr. Martin ever did.
It plays real good, stays in tune, and it never treats me mean.
Thank God for Mr. Martin and that fine old D-18.

Now. there's your Gallagher, your Gibson, your Goya, Gretsch, and Guild.
I've played ever’ kind of guitar that them guitar makers build.
I've picked on a lot of axes but the best I've ever seen
Is my funky, beat-up, wonderful old Martin D-18.

FINAL CHORUS


That's it, enjoy … keep on the sunny side
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