Old Car on Ebay

This is a song I wrote a few years ago and played at the Fusion Jam last Sunday. Several kind people wanted me to post it – Thanks for the encouragement! The story behind the song is more interesting than the song itself. I was browsing ebay looking at cars for sale when I saw this auction. Said something like “a 79 suburban, owned by my Father who passed away last year. It does not run and the title is lost.” There were a couple of pictures: one when it was fairly new hooked up to a travel trailer and one more recent with his Dad standing by it. The old gentleman was wearing overalls, a white shirt with the top button buttoned and one of those LBJ Stetsons. Reminded me of my Grandpa Ted. Finally there was one in his backyard with weeds growing all around it. Anyway this song came to pass about five minutes later. Simple song; G – C, G – D for the verses and D – C for the chorus. It should be played fast, Bluegrass style so as to get it over with quickly!

Old Car on Ebay Bill Jones Jan 2003

Well the old car that he left me….does not run
Just a 79 suburban he bought in 81
I remember when he brought it home he was proud as he could be
We drove it down on main street for all the town to see

Chorus Now he’s gone …….and that old cars left behind
I should sell it…….. but the title I can’t find
Now it’s sitting in my back yard looking quite forlorn
And I’m standing in the driveway on a cold December morn

The ashtray’s full of camels, the tires are cracked and bald
That kid down at Goodyear says the valves are badly worn
It’s not much to look at, hardly worth the price of a tow
But I remember when he got it so many years ago.

It musta pulled his travel trailer bout a hundred thousand miles
He did a lot of traveling after he retired
Him and my step mother was always on the road
And they’d head on down to Brownsville when the weather up north got cold
(Chorus)
Didn’t see much of him in his later years
I was busy chasing dollar bills, didn’t know his time was near
Got the news he’d passed away from my baby brother Paul
(spoken) And a couple of weeks later my Step mom gave to me his car

Cleaned it out right after… I towed it home
Found a couple of fuzzy quarters, some french fries and a comb
The glove box was full of napkins and a map of Tennessee
An old State Farm calendar and a high school picture of me.

Now he’s gone …….and that old cars left behind
I should sell it…….. but the title I can’t find
Now it’s sitting in my back yard looking quite forlornAnd I’m crying in the driveway on a cold December morn