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.
[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.
[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.
[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.
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!
[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.