Hot Rod Lincoln
Asleep At The Wheel Lyrics

My pappy said son you gonna drive me to drinkin'
My father warned me that my love for driving this Hot Rod Lincoln would drive him to drink.

If you don't stop drivin' that Hot Rod Lincoln
If I continued to drive the Hot Rod Lincoln, my father would be driven to drink and perhaps suffer ill effects from my love of driving.

Have you heard the story about the hot rod race
Have you heard the story about the exhilarating race between two powerful cars?

When the Ford and the Lincoln were settin' the pace
The Ford and the Lincoln were evenly matched and quickly took the lead in the race.

That story's true I'm here to say
I can attest that the story is true, because I was driving one of the cars in the race.

Cause I was a drivin' that Model A
I was driving a Model A in the exciting hot rod race.

It's got a Lincoln motor and it's really souped up
The Hot Rod Lincoln has a powerful engine that's been significantly upgraded with modifications.

That Model A body makes it look like a pup
Although the Hot Rod Lincoln has a body of a Model A car, it resembles a cute and unassuming animal.

It's got eight cylinders and uses them all
The engine of the Hot Rod Lincoln possesses eight cylinders, and each cylinder is utilized to make the car faster and more powerful.

And an overdrive that just won't stall
The Hot Rod Lincoln has an overdrive that continues to operate smoothly without failure.

It's got a 4-barrel carb and dual exhausts
The Hot Rod Lincoln has a specialized 4-barrel carburetor and two exhaust systems that allow the engine to breathe more efficiently, improving its performance.

4:11 gears that really get lost
The Hot Rod Lincoln has high-performance 4:11 gears that effectively optimize engine power, but the car can become easy to lose control of at exceptionally high speeds.

Safety tubes and I'm not scared
Despite the inherent danger of driving the Hot Rod Lincoln, I feel well-protected with a roll cage and other safety features.

The brakes are good and the tires are fair
The brakes on the Hot Rod Lincoln are high-quality, and the tires have acceptable tread for driving at high speeds.

We left San Pedro late one night
We embarked on our journey from San Pedro in the late hours of the night.

The moon and the stars were shinin' bright
The moon and stars were illuminating the sky with their radiance, making it easier to see the road ahead.

We were drivin' up Grapevine Hill
We were navigating the treacherous Grapevine Hill that's known for its steep inclines.

Passin' cars like they were standin' still
We were driving so fast that we were able to quickly pass by slower cars on the road.

Then all of a sudden, in the wink of an eye
Suddenly and almost instantaneously, a Cadillac sedan appeared on the scene.

A Cadillac sedan passed us by
A Cadillac sedan overtook us and sped off into the distance.

I said boys that's the mark for me
I felt motivated to compete and overtake the Cadillac sedan that had just passed by us.

But by then the taillights was all you could see
Despite our efforts, we could no longer see the Cadillac sedan, since it was too far ahead and moving at high speed.

Now the fellers ribbed me for bein' behind
My companions teased me for not being able to keep up with the Cadillac sedan.

So I started to make that Lincoln unwind
I resolved to push the Hot Rod Lincoln beyond its limits to catch up to the speeding Cadillac sedan.

Took my foot off the gas and man alive
I let go of the throttle to slow down for a few moments before resuming my high-speed chase.

I shoved it down into overdrive
To speed up quickly, I shifted the transmission of the Hot Rod Lincoln into overdrive mode.

Well I wound it up to hundred and ten
I accelerated to a ridiculous speed of one hundred and ten miles per hour.

Twisted the speedometer cable hit top end
I twisted the speedometer cable of the Hot Rod Lincoln until it reached its maximum marking on the dial.

Had my foot glued right to the floor
I kept my foot pressed firmly to the accelerator pedal, ensuring maximum engine performance and speed.

I said that's all there is there ain't no more
I pushed the Hot Rod Lincoln as fast and as far as I could, reaching its maximum limits and potential.

Now the fellas thought I'd lost all sense
My companions believed that I was driving recklessly and dangerously, and that I had lost all common sense or regard for safety.

The telephone poles looked like a picket fence
I was driving so fast that the telephone poles on the side of the road appeared like a white picket fence to us.

They said slow down I see spots
My companions urged me to slow down because they were suffering from blurred vision, seeing spots and experiencing dizziness due to the high speed and G-forces involved in the ride.

The lines on the road just looked like dots
The road lines appeared like small dots as we sped past them at an extremely high speed.

I took a corner and passed a truck
I drove at high-speed passing by a truck that was doing less than our speed by taking a sharp turn.

I crossed my fingers just for luck
To increase my chances of surviving, I crossed my fingers expecting to reach the end of the stretch without harm.

The fenders clickin' the guard rail post
The fenders of the Hot Rod Lincoln were making a metallic clicking noise as they grazed the guard rail posts.

The guy beside me was white as a ghost
My companion beside me in the passenger seat was pale, due to fear or shock from the high-speed ride.

Smoke was comin' outta the back
Smoke was coming out of the back of the Hot Rod Lincoln, indicating that the engine was overheating or on the verge of breaking down.

When I started to gain on that Cadillac
As I drew closer to the Cadillac sedan, I felt a sense of satisfaction and achievement.

I knew I could catch him and hoped I could pass
I was confident that I could catch up to the Cadillac, and I hoped to overtake it entirely.

But when I did I'd be short on gas
If I were to overtake and pass the Cadillac sedan, I would inevitably run out of gas soon afterward.

Had flames comin' from out of the side
The Hot Rod Lincoln had flames coming out from the side, indicating a significant mechanical failure that would soon cause the car to break down.

You could feel the tension man what a ride
The atmosphere in the car was highly charged with excitement, fear and adrenaline due to the high-speed chase, making for an unforgettable experience.

I said look out boys I've got a license to fly
I made a boastful statement claiming that I had a 'license' to fly, encouraging my companions to hold on tighter and enjoy the ride.

And the Cadillac pulled over and let me by
The Cadillac driver pulled over and let me pass by, perhaps acknowledging my impressive driving skills.

Now all of a sudden a rod started knockin'
Unexpectedly, the engine in the Hot Rod Lincoln began making a knocking noise, indicating a significant mechanical problem.

Down in the depths she started a rockin'
The car began shuddering and rocking from side to side, indicating a major malfunction with the engine and other systems.

I looked in the mirror and a red light was blinkin'
Looking in the rearview mirror, I saw a flashing red light signaling the approach of law enforcement.

The cops was after my Hot Rod Lincoln
The police were in pursuit of the Hot Rod Lincoln, and I knew I was in serious trouble.

They arrested me and put me in jail.
The police arrested me and took me into custody, placing me behind bars in jail for breaking the law.

They called my pop to throw my bail.
The authorities notified my father, who had to pay for my bail in order to secure my release from jail.

And he said son you're gonna drive me to drinkin'
My father expressed his frustration and disapproval of my reckless driving, claiming that it would drive him to drink and perhaps cause him major anxiety and distress.

If you don't quit drivin' that Hot Rod Lincoln
My father warned that if I continued to drive the Hot Rod Lincoln, I would only bring more trouble onto myself and those around me.