Rusty Chevrolet

A cover of a holiday classic. This is my first real multi-track project.

Anybody from the UP of Michigan or Wisconsin knows this classic holiday song by Da Yoopers. Our local rock radio was looking for holiday songs as performed by local artists for its weekly live radio show devoted to the local music scene, so I put this cover version together. I had some help from my wife and son on the chorus vocals, and my son plays the keyboard parts - everything else was done by me, including the sound effects (yes, my everyday vehicle really does sound like that). Hope you enjoy !

Dashing through the snow in my rusty Chevrolet
Down the road I go, sliding all the way
I need new piston rings, I need some new snow tires
My car is held together by a piece of chicken wire

Oh, rust and smoke, the heater's broke
The door just blew away
I light a match to see the dash
And then I start to pray
The frame is bent, the muffler went
The radio, it's okay
Oh what fun it is to drive this rusty Chevrolet

I went to the IGA to get some Christmas cheer
I just passed up my left front tire and it's getting hard to steer
Skidding down the highway, right past the Negaunee cops
I had to drag my swampers to get the car to stop

Bouncing through the snowdrifts in a big blue cloud of smoke
People laugh as I drive by, I wonder what's the joke
I got to get to ShopKo to pick up the layaway
'Cause Santa Claus is coming soon in his big old rusty sleigh

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posted by g.i.r. (2 comments total)

Man, that is some really pretty environment; I have had a number of such vehicles in my life (luckily, though, none recently). I don't have many early memories, but I have a very clear one of literally praying every time we got in the car one winter because you just never knew if it was going to turn over.

In any case, this is charming as hell. Nice work.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:28 AM on December 21, 2010

thanks, uncleozzy. and yeah, i definitely know that feeling re: car not starting in horrible, scary weather...been there more times than i care to remember...

_{***full disclosure - at age 20, in '97, i did a multi-track project of about an album's worth of songs with the band i was in...in my basement...to a tiny 4-track cassette unit...but this is my first real complete PC / DAW work, aside from a few little 'tests' i did after i got cubase LE...
and my truck is an oldsmobile, and not a chevy, but pretty much just as bad ;)}
posted by g.i.r. at 9:24 AM on December 21, 2010