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Jensen Across America --- Bob Clevenger

My second song. It's a true story of the 2007 trip across country in my newly-purchased Jensen SP. Everything in the song happened, and it happened just the way the song has it.

Tune adapted from: Big Iron by Marty Robbins

We [Em]picked her up in [G]Jersey from a fellow name of [Em]Mike.
And headed out to [G]Pennsylvania, on that old Turn-[Em]pike.
We were [C]rollin’ high and handsome when the [G]driver’s window stopped.
Likewise the air-conditioning --- a [Em]fuse it must have popped!
--- A [C]fuse it must have [Em]popped.

[G]Jensen Interceptor on a [C]great cross-country [G]run
            440 Six-Pack roarin’ --- we’re [C]havin’ lots of [Am]fun.
            We [C]stop at every station, it [G]seems, to fill the tank.
            This Jensen’s thirst for gasoline is [Em]gonna break the bank!
--- It’s [C]gonna break the [Em]bank.

Near [Em]Weston, West Virginia the [G]Prince of Darkness [Em]struck.
The Jensen’s lights they [G]all went out. Oh what a stroke of [Em]luck!
A [C]quick inspection showed us that we [G]had a knackered switch.
I knew we’d never make this trip with-[Em]out some kind of hitch
--- with-[C]out some kind of [Em]hitch.

As I [Em]sat there in the darkness an i-[G]dea came to [Em]mind.
From the buggered switch I’ll [G]move the wires to one of a like [Em]kind.
We [C]crossed our fingers, held our breath, I [G]made a good-luck sign.
Flipped on the bodged-up switchgear --- the [Em]lights again worked fine!
--- The [C]lights again worked [Em]fine.

[G]Jensen Interceptor on a [C]great cross-country [G]run
            440 Six-Pack roarin’ --- we’re [C]havin’ lots of [Am]fun.
            We [C]stop at every station, it [G]seems, to fill the tank.
            This Jensen’s thirst for gasoline is [Em]gonna break the bank!
--- It’s [C]gonna break the [Em]bank.

We [Em]limped into a little shop and [G]Jesse fixed us [Em]up.
He fixed some loose connections but said, [G] “Leave that window [Em]up.”
[C]Sceamin’ down that highway with the [G]Six-Pack runnin’ right,
We crossed the Mississippi, and [Em]there we spent the night
--- and [C]there we spent the [Em]night.

[Em]Cruisin’ through Nebraska, the [G]bad-luck gremlin [Em]hits.
We’re almost to Wyoming when the [G]bloody engine [Em]quits!
We [C]call ahead to Pine Bluffs, and they [G]say they’ll tow us in.
By the time that we arrive there, our [Em]patience it is thin
--- our [C]patience it is [Em]thin.

The [Em]fuel pump pushrod’s worn out and there [G]are none to be [Em]found.
Gator’s Motel puts us up; our [G]sleep is really [Em]sound.
[C]Morning finds a new electric [G]fuel pump fastened on.
Heading out for Utah, we [Em]hope our bad luck’s gone
--- we [C]hope our bad luck’s [Em]gone.

The [Em]fuel tank level’s dropping fast, this [G]really isn’t [Em]right.
Pulling off at Bonneville we [G]see a fearsome [Em]sight.
A [C]petrol line has broken and it’s [G]gushing on the ground.
We fill the tank and push ahead; it’s too [Em]far to turn around
--- it’s too [C]far to turn a-[Em]round.

At [Em]Wendover we spend the night and [G]find a shop next [Em]day.
They stop the leak in record time and [G]send us on our [Em]way.
[C]Heading down to Reno, we’re [G]finally homeward bound,
Fighting off some vapour-lock with [Em]desert all around
--- with [C]desert all a-[Em]round.

[Em]Dodger fixes MoPars at the [G]carburetor [Em]shop.
(He)Installs an alternator; makes the [G]fuel pump problems [Em]stop.
[C]Headed down that Interstate, just [G]thinkin’ where we’ve been,
(We) Roll into Southern California, [Em]finally home again
--- we’re [C]finally home a-[Em]gain!

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