Monday, May 25, 2009

One of my favourite folk songs, just listening to it on tape now




A True Story (Kate Clinton, John McCutcheon, & Betsy Rose)

One morning while reading the paper, in search of a new set of wheels
The classifieds had a most curious ad in their listing of automobiles
I read in suspicious amusement what seemed like a great stroke of luck
"Corvette Stingray," it said, "low mileage, bright red, '83 model - sixty-five bucks"

Well I was used to my newspaper's typos, still I called up that number straightway
"'Bout that '83 'Vette -- have you sold the thing yet?"
She said, "No, you're my first call today"
I said, "There's been some mistake in the paper, they printed the ad wrong somehow"
"Oh, no," replied she, "they got that from me."
I said, "Don't sell that car, I'm leaving now"

Well her address was in the part of the city where I'd ventured just one time or two
Where the doctors, bank presidents, and lawyers are residents, and the houses are massive and new
As I drove up her half-a-mile driveway, there in the heat of the day
In the sunlight it gleamed, the car of my dreams - and just sixty-five dollars away

Well the interior was made of white leather, it had a 587 V-8
Bow wingspan doors, Hurst four-on-the-floor, and the 8-channel tape deck was great
There was chrome on the chrome on the fender in an aerodynamic design
A phone, a TV, and it was bogglin' to me how for sixty-five bucks it was mine

Well I suspected the woman was crazy, to be selling the car at this price
But as we walked down the lane she seemed perfectly sane - she was charming and really quite nice
And she smiled in such great satisfaction as she handed me title and keys
I said, "I've just got to know why you let this thing go - what's wrong with this car, tell me, please?"

Said she, "I'll be sixty come Tuesday, and I've lived here with my husband Earl
After thirty years wed, and without a word said, he left me for a silly young girl
With his credit cards here on the table, I knew that he couldn't go far
Last night from Florida he sent a wire to me, said 'I need money, dear, sell the car!'"

3 comments:

scouseboy said...

Tape?? Tape??? How very 80's Louise!!!
Take it down to St. Georges hall for the next visit of Antiques roadshow!!

Unknown said...

What album is it on?

Louise Baldock said...

Hi Bob, I have it on the Writing on the Wall double tape cassette. Tony Benn reading bits of socialist text, telling stories about the levellers, the tolpuddle martyrs, the sufragettes, Thomas Payne, etc and Roy Bailey singing songs, including this one.
It is a fantastic tape, I expect it was done on CD at a later date too, you are bound to be able to get it online, or you could write to Tony or to Roy, they are both easy enough to find online too.
Cheers