Lyr Req: Automobile Trip through Alabama

Subject: Lyr Req: Automobile Trip Through Alabama
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 13 Jan 03 - 11:39 PM

Looking for words to "Automobile Trip Through Alabama", the story of the unlikely adventures of a man with a brand new Ford and a tank full of Woco-Pep gasoline, off of a New Lost City Ramblers album from the 60's. A friend had the LP, but it is impractical to contact him as he is dead.

Bruce

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Automobile Trip Through Alabama
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 12:23 AM

It was on a NLCR LP called "Rural Delivery Number One." It's also on a Smithsonian Folkways CD called Outstanding in Their Field, Vol II, 1963-1973. Hey, there's lots of words to transcribe in this one, Bruce. I'll get it out in a little wahile.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: AUTOMOBILE TRIP THROUGH ALABAMA
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 01:15 AM

OK, this is my best shot. It was a tough one. It's a recitation, by the way - not a song.
-Joe Offer-

AUTOMOBILE TRIP THROUGH ALABAMA
(recorded by New Lost City Ramblers)
John Cohen, voice; Mike Seeger, banjo
source: Red Henderson & Emmet, 1920's

Well, some folks calls me red, but my hair's not red;
It just got wet and rusted, that's all.
But I bought me a brand-new Ford and poured it full of ten gallons
Of ??? (Wilso Pep) gasoline to see how far I could drive it.
I drove it three weeks, night and day, wired back for a new set of tires
And still didn't need no gasoline
I drove it all over the hills and hollers of Alabama.

Way back on top of one of those big mountains over there,
I saw an old man, driving a cow to the buggy (?)
Well, the cow got scared of my brand-new Ford,
So the old man tied him to a tree and said he'd pull the buggy himself.
And just as he got alongside of me, I shot the juice to my brand-new Ford
Scared the old man, and he ran away and tore up the buggy.
The cow got loose, walkin down the road and just laughin at him.

So, I went on down to a place they call Bear Creek.
On the other side of Bear Creek, I saw a great big bear.
Well, the Ford stood there and started shakin.
so I reached in the back seat and grabbed my hat,
And crawled on down the road 2, 3, 4, 5 miles;
Come back ten minutes later, and what do you think I saw,
But there was my brand-new Ford, standin in the middle of a broom sage patch
Kickin with both hind feet and pawin like the dickins with the front two.

I looked around and didn't see no bear - I wondered what's the matter
The Ford says, don't you see all them young aeroplanes, lightin on my back?
I looked back there, and sure enough, there was a whole bunch of little yellow striped

things,
Lightin on my brand-new Ford, that had knots on it like hen's eggs.
Well, this kinda got me mad, so I got a brush and began to thrush.
They thought I was gettin warm, so they began to fly around my head try to cool me off
This kinda got the Ford mad.
It said, put 'em all in the back seat, we'll drive 'em all on down to the river and drown

'em.
So, I put 'em in the back seat, and got behind the wheel and started.

And naturally, the Ford had kicked and poured (?) and run a hot box,
And run all the grease out of it. All it could say was, "me and you and them."
I says, it may be me and you and them now, but it's just gonna be you and them for a little

while.
So I went on down the road for five minutes and come back ten minutes later,
and what do you think I saw, but there was my brand-new Ford,
Scattered all over a ten-acre field

Well, I taken the two back houses
And I taken the ramrod and poured in five gallons of that Wilco Pep gasoline(?)
to make me a gun to go hunt the bear.
well, I went on down the river
and I saw a drove of ducks up the river, and a drove of geese down the river.
Just then, I turned around, and what do you think I saw,
But there was a rattlesnake, fixin' to bite poor me.

So, I lit a match to the gasoline and blowed up the gun.
One barrel went up the river and got all the ducks.
The other barrel went down the river and got all the geese.
The ramrod went down the snake's throat and killed it.
The explosion was so strong that it knocked me back in the river,
and I come out with both boots full of fish.

Just then, I turned around, and what do you think I saw,
But there was my brand-new Ford, all back together again,
Still didn't need no Wilco Pep gasoline.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Automobile Trip Through Alabama
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 09:34 AM

Thanks loads and loads, Joe!

The brand of gasoline is "Woco Pep". It was a predecessor to Pure Oil Co. and was one of the first gasolines to have an additive, benzol, included. It was formulated by a man from Birmingham, AL who was in the steel business. Benzol is a byproduct of steel manufacture. Click here to see the Woco Pep logo.

Bruce