Lyr Add: Thank You Republic Airlines (Tom Paxton)

Subject: Lyr Add: THANK YOU REPUBLIC AIRLINES (Tom Paxton)
From: Sorcha
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 02:45 PM

THANK YOU REPUBLIC AIRLINES
Tom Paxton
As recorded by Tom Paxton on "One Million Lawyers and Other Disasters" (1985)

Flying through the Michigan skies with a song in my innocent heart,
I placed myself in professional hands, masters of the traveler's art.
When I opened my guitar case at the end of a beautiful flight,
I'm sure you can imagine my feelings as I beheld this beautiful sight:

Thank you, Republic Airlines, for breaking the neck on my guitar.
I arrived to do a concert with the Kingston Trio,
Opened my guitar case with a smile con brio.
Thank you, Republic Airlines, what a joy to the musician you are.
What a zest you add to pedestrian skies!
It was boring to be flying where the wild goose flies,
But the tedium was broken by your wonderful surprise
When you broke the neck on my guitar.

Thank you, Republic Airlines, for treating my instrument with care.
There can be no greater happiness for the musician
Than to find his instrument in this condition.
O woe! Republic Airlines, in the firmament of travel you're a star,
For you treat each piece of baggage like a child of your own.
When you come across an instrument, it's dropped like a stone.
May you waken every morning with a new broken bone
Like you broke the neck on my guitar.

Now I've been traveling most of my life and the thrill is a long time gone.
The sight of another DC10 just fails to turn me on;
But I feel my heart start pounding when I get to the baggage claim,
And when I see how you handled my instrument the thrill is still the same.

Thank you, Republic Airlines, for splintering the neck on my guitar.
My guitar case was so strong that nothing could go through it.
Way to go, Republic! Only you could do it.
Crash Bang, Republic Airlines, in the field of demolition you'll go far,
For you took it as a challenge when I turned in my case,
And you saw the Fragile stickers glued all over the place.
May a team of mad flamenco dancers do to your face
What you did to the neck of my guitar.

There could be no greater satisfaction than if
You should be the next to go the way of Braniff!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Thank You Republic Airlines/Paxton
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 03:06 PM

I remember hearing Tom do this at the Main Point near Philadelphia in 1971 or so. (At least, I think I do. If someone were to tell me he wrote it in 1978, I wouldn't argue.) Sorcha, I hope you didn't post this because of some recent trauma!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Thank You Republic Airlines/Paxton
From: Sorcha
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 04:27 PM

No, I've just wanted the lyrics for a long time and a friend transcribed them for us because it's not on the net anywhere.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Thank You Republic Airlines/Paxton
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 08:55 PM

Thanks, Sorcha - but being an old European, would someone please explain the 'Braniff' reference to me?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Thank You Republic Airlines/Paxton
From: Bert
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 09:57 PM

Ah yes, a good song but just a little unfair to Republic. Most baggage is destroyed by the airport's baggage handling system. I know I used to design the bloody things.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Thank You Republic Airlines/Paxton
From: Sorcha
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 10:02 PM

Braniff and Republic were both US small airlines. Braniff went bankrupt, haven't heard of Republic for years. Maybe they did too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Thank You Republic Airlines/Paxton
From: Candyman(inactive)
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 10:42 PM

I remember hearing Tom do this at the Main Point near Philadelphia in 1971 or so. (At least, I think I do. If someone were to tell me he wrote it in 1978, I wouldn't argue.)

Tom wrote the song after Republic Airlines broke the neck on his guitar in 1984.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Thank You Republic Airlines/Paxton
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 10:48 PM

Looks like complete records of republic Airlines are held by the Minnesota Historical Society. It has quite a history:

• North Central / Southern merger to form Republic Airlines, 1979-1980.
• Hughes Airwest acquisition by Republic, 1980.
• Republic merger into Northwest Airlines, 1986

I knew there was a Howard Hughes connection. I thought there was a connection with Frontier Airlines or Ozark, but I guess not.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Thank You Republic Airlines/Paxton
From: Sorcha
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 10:57 PM

I could get my friend to make a cassette tape of the tune and send it to somebody. I can't transcribe by ear.....

Subject: Chords: Thank You, Republic Airlines (Tom Paxton)
From: Jason Xion Wang
Date: 15 Mar 15 - 10:16 AM

Tough chords to figure on this one. A lot of unusual progression. Just put it on my website here this afternoon, gonna post it here too. Based on the recording from "In the Orchard" LP.


Thank You, Republic Airlines
(Tom Paxton)

  C                  D#dim                 G7                  C
  Flying through the Michigan skies with a song in my innocent heart,
                        D#dim            G7                        C     C7
  I placed myself in professional hands, masters of the traveler's art.
         F                            C        G/B       A7
  When I opened my guitar case at the end of a beautiful flight,
      D                       D7               G                   G7
  I'm sure you can imagine my feelings, as I beheld this beautiful sight:
  
  
  C                                                            G7
  Thank you, Republic Airlines, for breaking the neck on my guitar!
                                     C    G/B Bbdim A7
  I arrived to do a concert with the Kingston Tri - o, 
  D7                           G
  Opened my guitar case with a smile con brio.
  C                                                            F
  Thank you, Republic Airlines, what a joy to the musician you are!
         Fm                     C  G/B   A7
  What a zest you've added to pedestrian skies!
         F            Fm               C    G/B   A7
  It was boring to be flying where the wild goose flies, 
          F          Fm             C     G/B    A7
  But the tedium was broken by your wonderful surprise 
           D7        G7            C
  When you broke the neck on my guitar.
  
  
              G
  There could be no satisfaction greater than if
                                          C
  You should be the next to go the way of Braniff!
  

Still a lot to do to my website... Hope I can have it finished this Spring.

Jason