Cisco Clifton
Johnny Cash Lyrics


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Cisco Clifton had a fillin' station
About a mile and a half from town
Most cars passed unless they were out of gas
So Cisco was always around

Regular gas was all that it sold
Except tobacco matches and oil
Other than that he fixed lots of flats
Keepin' Cisco rough hands soiled

He'd wipe the gas and check the air
In a hundred times a day
He patiently gave directions
On how to get to the state highway

Usually he'd give 'em water
Or a tyre or two some air
And once a big black Cadillac
Spent seven dollars there

He'd give anybody anything they'd ask
And lend anything he had
His tools are tyres bumper jacks or wire
To the good ones or the bad

In wintertime there was a depot stove
And a table for a checker game
And every mornin' at sunup
The same checker players came

So Cisco Clifton's fillin' station
Was always in the red
Personal loans were personally gone
But never a word was said

One mornin' at eight, them checker players
Heard a big bulldozer roar like a freight
And Cisco said I hope my kids stay fed
When they build that Interstate

He'd managed to pay for property
Where his little fillin' station sat
And friends still came for checker game
So Cisco settled for that

He wouldn't say so but Cisco knew
That the Interstate was too much to fight
But to keep his will and to pay his bills
He did odd jobs at night

He still opened up at sunrise
And the checker game went on
The cars flew past on highest gas
And the neighbors had sold out and gone

If a car ever did go by he was lost
And if they stopped they were treated the same




So at Cisco Clifton's fillin' station
There's a howdy and a checker game

Overall Meaning

Johnny Cash's song Cisco Clifton's Fillin' Station tells the story of a man named Cisco Clifton and his small gas station located just outside of town. The gas station was not particularly successful and only sold regular gas, tobacco, matches, and oil. However, Cisco worked hard to keep the place running and often lent out his tools and provided assistance to those in need, whether they were good or bad people. He even had a checker game and stove for his friends and neighbors to gather around in the cold winter months.


Despite the kindness and hard work of Cisco, his little gas station was destined to be torn down when the interstate was built. Cisco could not fight the power of the government, and so he did odd jobs at night to keep things afloat until they came to tear the station down. Despite all of this, he never lost his will and spirit, and his checker game continued to be held every morning at sunrise. The gas station had become a symbol of community and kindness, and even in its demise, the spirit of Cisco and his friends lived on.


Line by Line Meaning

Cisco Clifton had a fillin' station
Cisco Clifton owned and operated a gas station


About a mile and a half from town
The gas station was located approximately 1.5 miles away from the town


Most cars passed unless they were out of gas
Cars only stopped at the station if they were out of gas


So Cisco was always around
Cisco was always present at the gas station


Regular gas was all that it sold
The gas station only sold regular gasoline


Except tobacco matches and oil
The station sold tobacco, matches, and oil in addition to gasoline


Other than that he fixed lots of flats
In addition to selling gas and other items, Cisco also fixed many flat tires


Keepin' Cisco rough hands soiled
Cisco's hands were always dirty and oily from working on tires and cars


He'd wipe the gas and check the air
He would clean the gas nozzles and check tire pressure for customers


In a hundred times a day
He did this many times every day


He patiently gave directions
Cisco was always willing to give directions and help people find the state highway


On how to get to the state highway
Cisco gave directions to customers who needed to find the state highway


Usually he'd give 'em water
Cisco would often give customers water if they needed it


Or a tyre or two some air
He would also help customers fill their tires with air or provide them with a tire if needed


And once a big black Cadillac
A large, black Cadillac once stopped at the gas station


Spent seven dollars there
The driver of the Cadillac spent $7 at the station


He'd give anybody anything they'd ask
Cisco was very generous and would give anyone whatever they asked for


And lend anything he had
He was also willing to lend out anything he had, whether it was tools or tires


His tools are tyres bumper jacks or wire
Cisco was willing to lend out any of his tools, tires, bumper jacks, or wire to anyone who needed them


To the good ones or the bad
He was equally willing to help both good and bad people


In wintertime there was a depot stove
In the winter, there was a stove in the gas station


And a table for a checker game
There was a table where people played checkers


And every mornin' at sunup
Every morning when the sun came up


The same checker players came
The same group of people would come to play checkers every morning


So Cisco Clifton's fillin' station
This is a reference to the gas station owned by Cisco Clifton


Was always in the red
The gas station was never profitable and was always in debt


Personal loans were personally gone
Cisco had to take out personal loans to keep the gas station operating


But never a word was said
Despite the debt, Cisco never talked about it to anyone


One mornin' at eight, them checker players
One morning at 8 o'clock, the checkers players


Heard a big bulldozer roar like a freight
They heard a loud bulldozer sound like a freight train


And Cisco said I hope my kids stay fed
Cisco expressed concern that his children would have enough to eat when the bulldozers came


When they build that Interstate
The bulldozers were coming to build the interstate highway


He'd managed to pay for property
Cisco had managed to pay for the land where his gas station was located


Where his little fillin' station sat
The gas station was located on this property


And friends still came for checker game
Even though the interstate was going to change things, Cisco's friends still came to play checkers at the gas station


So Cisco settled for that
Cisco was content with the fact that he still had his friends to play checkers with


He wouldn't say so but Cisco knew
Cisco never said it out loud, but he knew


That the Interstate was too much to fight
Cisco knew that he couldn't fight against the construction of the interstate highway


But to keep his will and to pay his bills
Despite the overwhelming odds, Cisco continued to work hard to pay his bills


He did odd jobs at night
To make ends meet, Cisco would do odd jobs at night


He still opened up at sunrise
Despite his struggles, Cisco still opened the gas station at sunrise every morning


And the checker game went on
The checkers game continued to be played at the gas station every morning


The cars flew past on highest gas
The cars continued to zoom past the gas station, getting gas elsewhere


And the neighbors had sold out and gone
The other businesses in the area had sold out and left, but Cisco remained


If a car ever did go by he was lost
If a car didn't stop at the gas station, Cisco was at a loss


And if they stopped they were treated the same
If a car did stop at the station, they were treated kindly and with respect


So at Cisco Clifton's fillin' station
Despite everything, Cisco's gas station


There's a howdy and a checker game
Remained a friendly place for people to gather, say hello, and play checkers




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHNNY R. CASH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

ukkris19

this song is about my friend's great grandfather who died just a few years ago. He was a huge Johnny Cash fan and Johnny came to town and met him. I just thought that was pretty neat haha

Matthew Lepak

Really. That is so cool. Love this SONG! Amen! Jesus Bless you!

Maryann Anderson

This song has been a favorite of mine for years. I bought an album by Johnny Cash that has this song on it and that is the only place I had ever heard it because I have NEVER heard it on the radio. The line in this song that always gets me is "Once a big black Cadillac spent seven dollars there" because this seven-dollar sale was the biggest sale Cisco had ever had. I remember when my dad bought gas, he would get a dollar or two at a time because he simply could not afford to pay the eight dollars or so that it would have cost him to get a fill-up. I very well remember when gasoline went up to 25 CENTS A GALLON and my dad was outraged. He said, "It's getting so a poor man can't afford to drive a car!"

And this song is so true. Just like Wal-Mart put all the little Mom and Pop stores out of business and McDonald's and Burger King and other chain fast-food restaurants put Mom and Pop restaurants out of business, the interstate highway with their chain gas stations at major exits put all the independent gas stations, like the ones owned by Cisco Clifton, out of business. The interstate would cause most cars to miss his station period and even if they got on a back road and came by his place, they would probably wait until they got to some big well-known chain station to get a fill-up.

I am very sad for the loss of the businesses owned by little guys who have been gouged out of business by some big conglomerate who has hundreds of outlets or stores, and they have such volume that the little guys simply cannot compete. "And they call it progress, but I just don't know." (From The Judd's song, "Grandpa")

Rob Dokter

Thanks for reacting on my old channel here. So true indeed.. A bit like the John Prine song 'Paradise' lines: 'They tortured the timber and stripped all the land. Then wrote it all down as the progress of man"..
I covered this true powerful 'Cisco Clifton's filling station' on my first CD.. Should be out here somewhere too. All the best from NL 🎼 Rob Dokter

Myron McCabe

That was quite a song, It is the first and only time I ever heard it but I enjoyed it. Thank you, Johnny Cash!

Matthew Lepak

Beautiful song! People were so hard working, unselfish and kind

Michael-Angelo la Fleur

Good ole Ballard Harris was the last owner of the Cisco station. I use to stop by on the way to Moab in my mountain bikin days. Ballard and his flock of peacocks paved that block top that goes from the bridge out past and around the bend. Ballard Harris outlived five wives...a legend.

Brandt M

he was married twice ;)

Brandt M

My great grandfather was Ballard Harris

SegoMan

We stopped in there a few times on our vacation trips, A lady from Chicago bought the whole town in 2015 and is renovating it one building at a time.

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