Classifieds
J.W. Baz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I's thumbin' through the want ads in the Shelby County Tribune when this classified advertisement caught my eye. It said, "Take imme-di-ate delivery on this '57 Chevrolet half-ton pickup truck. Will sell or swap for a hide-a-bed and thirty-five bucks. Call One-four-oh, ring two, and ask for Bob."
Well, I called Bob up on the telephone, he says, "Hello, this is Bob speakin'." I says "This here the Bob got the pickup truck for sale?" He says, "Yeah." I says, "Where are ya?" He says, "Fourteen east on County 12, turn right on the one-lane gravel road, you can park in the yard, beware of the dog, wipe your feet off, knock three times, and bring your billfold."
Well, I tooled on east on County 12, turned right on the one-lane gravel road, and I parked in the yard and a German shepherd come out and grabbed onto my leg. Then I knocked three times and wiped my feet, the dog let go and the screen door opened and Bob come out and says "Whaddya want?" I says, "Come to see your truck." He says, "Follow me. Come on, Frank." (Dog's name is Frank.)
Well, I kicked the tires and I got in the seat and set on a petrified apple core and found a bunch of field mice livin' in the glove compartment. He says, "Her shaft is bent and her rear end leaks, you can fix her quick with an oily rag. Use a nail as a starter; I lost the key. Don't pay no mind to that whirrin' sound. She use a little oil, but outside a' that, she's cherry."
I says, "What'll take?" He says, "What've you got?" I says, "Twenty-eight dollars and fifteen cents." He says, "You got a deal. Sign here, I'll go get the title and a can full of gas." I put the nail in the slot and fired 'er up; she coughed and belched up a bunch a' smoke and I backed her right through the hog pen into the yard.
Well, Frank jumped in and bit my leg and I beat him off with a crowbar. He jumped on out and the door fell off and the left front tire went flat. I jacked it up and patched the tube and Frank tore a piece of my shirt off. Then Bob come out and called him off and says "You better'd get on out of here."
I went left on the one-lane gravel road, went fourteen west on County 12. Took two full quarts of forty-weight oil just to get her to the Conoco station. And I pulled up to the Regular pump and then Harold Sykes and his kid come out. He says, "I've seen better stuff at junkyards and where'd you ever get that truck?"
I says, "That's a long story, Harold. I's thumbin' through the want ads in the Shelby County Tribune when this classified advertisement caught my eye. It said, "Take imme-di-ate delivery on this '57 Chevrolet half-ton pickup truck. Will sell or swap for a hide-a-bed and thirty-five bucks..."
The lyrics of J.W. Baz's song Classifieds tell the story of a man who responds to a classified advertisement in the newspaper for the sale or swap of a 1957 Chevrolet half-ton pickup truck. The man follows the directions given in the ad to reach the seller's location, navigating through a series of rural landmarks and encountering a stubborn German shepherd along the way. When he finally arrives at the seller's barn, he inspects the beat-up truck, negotiates the price down to $28.15, and ultimately drives it away, facing a series of mishaps and mechanical malfunctions.
The story told in the lyrics is ultimately one of the pursuit of a dream, as the singer is willing to endure considerable inconvenience and hardship in order to land the classic truck he desires. Nevertheless, the specifics of the story and the colorful language used throughout suggest a certain level of satirical commentary on the culture of rural America and its obsession with cars and other material goods.
Line by Line Meaning
I's thumbin' through the want ads in the Shelby County Tribune when this classified advertisement caught my eye.
I was reading the classifieds in the local newspaper when I saw an ad that grabbed my attention.
Well, I called Bob up on the telephone, he says, 'Hello, this is Bob speakin'.
I dialed the phone number listed in the ad and Bob answered.
Where are ya?' He says, 'Fourteen east on County 12, turn right on the one-lane gravel road, you can park in the yard, beware of the dog, wipe your feet off, knock three times, and bring your billfold.'
I asked Bob where he was and he gave me detailed instructions to his location, which included a warning about his dog and a request for payment.
Then I knocked three times and wiped my feet, the dog let go and the screen door opened and Bob come out and says 'Whaddya want?'
After following Bob's directions, I knocked on his door and he answered it, asking me what I wanted.
Well, we all went past the chicken house, through the hog pen, down to the tractor shed, and then wound up in back of the barn in a field of cowpies.
Bob led me on a tour around his property to show me the truck he was selling.
Well, I kicked the tires and I got in the seat and set on a petrified apple core and found a bunch of field mice livin' in the glove compartment.
I inspected the truck's tires, interior, and other parts, discovering some unpleasant surprises like an apple core and mice.
He says, 'Her shaft is bent and her rear end leaks, you can fix her quick with an oily rag.
Bob pointed out some of the truck's mechanical issues, suggesting that they could be easily fixed.
She use a little oil, but outside a' that, she's cherry.'
Despite some of the problems, Bob believed that the truck was still in good condition overall.
He says, 'What'll take?' I says, 'Twenty-eight dollars and fifteen cents.' He says, 'You got a deal. Sign here, I'll go get the title and a can full of gas.'
I negotiated the price with Bob and we agreed on a deal, which included signing some paperwork and receiving a can of gas.
I put the nail in the slot and fired 'er up; she coughed and belched up a bunch a' smoke and I backed her right through the hog pen into the yard.
I started the truck using a nail as the key and drove it out of Bob's property, leaving through the hog pen.
I went left on the one-lane gravel road, went fourteen west on County 12. Took two full quarts of forty-weight oil just to get her to the Conoco station.
I drove the truck to a nearby gas station, which required a lot of oil to get there.
I says, 'That's a long story, Harold. I's thumbin' through the want ads in the Shelby County Tribune when this classified advertisement caught my eye.
When questioned about the truck by a local man named Harold, I told him the story of how I found the classified ad in the newspaper and bought the truck from Bob.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind