Lyr Req: Good Ol' Car / Workin' on the Car

Subject: biran bowers song
From: GUEST,duncan
Date: 02 May 00 - 10:14 AM

The song starts : Nothing like working on your good old car/ To save yourself a little bit o' dough/ You start out not knowing a lot/ But you got the whole day don't you know..... I can remember all the verses but one, which ends with : You get the bad claustrophobia with all that over ya/ Praying that the jack do't go.... Anyone know this song??

Subject: ADD: Workin' on the Good Old Car (Tom Dundee)
From: BlueJay
Date: 02 May 00 - 01:55 PM

Here you go Duncan. Since this is from a Bryan Bowers concert tape, I'm guessing at the title. But Bryan did attribute it to a friend of his named Tom Dundee.

WORKIN' ON THE GOOD OLD CAR
(Tom Dundee)

Nothin' like workin on your good old car,
Save yourself a little bit of dough,
You start out not knowin' a lot,
But you got the whole day don't you know,
It's a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky,
Put the baseball on the radio,

Nothin' like workin on your good old car,
Save yourself a little bit of dough.

What seems to be the matter with that stubborn old nut,
certainly is on there good,
Just a little twist, WHOOPS, cracked the sucker off,
Just like you're scared you would,
Ah but don't get mad, it's just a little thing,
You can deal with it later, let's go,

Nothin' like workin on your good old car,
To save yourself a little bit of dough.

Here come the neighbors with a bunch of stupid questions,
full of even dumber advice,
And just about the time you get a bead on the bugger,
You get a dose of rust in the eye,
And it's hard to take the pain as you try to bend your head,
The way the Lord didn't mean it to go,

Nothin' like workin' on your good old car,
Save yourself a little bit of dough.

Just enough room to jam your fool head,
Layin' half into the street,
Prayin' there ain't some Space Cadet,
Come-a-drivin' across your feet,
You get the bad claustrophobia with all that over ya,
Hopin' that the jack don't go,

Nothin' like workin' onyour good old car,
Save yourself a little bit of dough.

You finally got it apart, now it's gettin' dark,
Are you ready for your next surprise,
The part you went to get, doesn't quite fit,
'Cause they don't still make that size,
The shop'll come to get it in the mornin, but get fair warning,
It'll take another 54 dollars to tow,

Nothin' like workin' on your good old car,
Save youself a little bit of dough YEAH,
Nothin' like workin' on your good old car,
Save yourself a little bit of dough.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: biran bowers song
From: BlueJay
Date: 03 May 00 - 01:41 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: biran bowers song
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Feb 08 - 07:56 AM

You can see and hear Bryan Bowers singing this song at the 1987 Philadelphia Folk Festival at YouTube, where the song is called GOOD OL' CAR.

I haven't found any evidence that anyone recorded it, though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Good Ol' Car (? - from Bryan Bowers)
From: open mike
Date: 28 Feb 08 - 12:06 PM

Bryan also does the Tom Dundee song about Harry the Dog. R.I.P. Tom.
(see the thread about Tom if you want to find out other songs he wrote)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Good Ol' Car (? - from Bryan Bowers)
From: GUEST,lamarca'sOM
Date: 28 Feb 08 - 03:35 PM

Bryan recorded it on his "Bristlecone Pine" CD under the title "Workin' on the Car".

George

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Good Ol' Car (? - from Bryan Bowers)
From: GUEST,jeff
Date: 29 Feb 08 - 01:12 AM

The song is called 'Workin' on the Good ol' Car' The lyrics are correct except Tom used to sing 'spacey motherfucker' instead of Space Cadet, but it was suggested by Steve Goodman that he may want to 'clean it up' if he ever expected to get any 'airplay'. Bryan may have changed it for public consumption, but I can assure you those were the original words as I was there when he wrote most of it. We were hanging out alot in those days and Tom had a big Ambassador Station wagon that needed continual coaxing, but always seems to get us to the gigs ontime. It's not on the compilation "Fleeting Moments', but may be on Lyfetymearhyme. Not sure. Art Theime may have a recording of it, but I went through my stuff and wasn't able to turn up the song though their are others he never recorded. Someday I'll catalog them and give them to his widow. I'm sure she'd like to have them. Rich Warren at WFMT/Chicago may have a copy of it. Contact him and ask. He's always been a big supporter of Tom's songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Good Ol' Car (? - from Bryan Bowers)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 11:59 AM

BMI confirms that Tom Dundee wrote WORKIN ON THE CAR.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Good Ol' Car (? - from Bryan Bowers)
From: Art Thieme
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 02:39 PM

The OBIT thread for Tom Dundee is the one spoken of here I believe. I miss him a whole lot.

Art
Thieme

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Good Ol' Car (? - from Bryan Bowers)
From: Chris in Portland
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 03:26 PM

Reilly and Maloney used to do it too. David and Ginny recently gave a couple of memorial concerts for Tom - we all miss him.
Chris in Portland

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Good Ol' Car (? - from Bryan Bowers)
From: BK Lick
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 03:33 PM

Here's a clicky to the OBIT thread.
"Workin' On The Car" is on the "Lyfe Tyme A Rhyme" CD which you can purchase at CD Baby. You can also listen there to the first two minutes, including Tom's lyrics referred to by GUEST,jeff.

—BK

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Good Ol' Car (? - from Bryan Bowers)
From: GUEST,Jeff
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 04:10 PM

Ok, If BMI has that as the title then that's how Tom must have registered the song. But, as 'Jack of Hearts' is actually Jack Burg's publishing company HE may have registered it under that name. Jack was making alot of 'business' decisions for Tom in those days as he was the executive producer of Tom's first project, called 'A Delicate Balance'. But, the original name for the song was 'Workin' On The Good Old Car'. When we were choosing songs for the project we kept going back and forth between "My Old Take It Easy Guitar' and the Car song. The guitar song was chosen because Tom wanted to do one song w/solo guitar. And it's tuned 1/2 step down, so that the neck wont start to bow...I miss him too, Art.