One Piece At A Time Song Lyrics and Chords by Johnny Cash
One Piece At A Time
Recorded by Johnny Cash
Written by Wayne Kemp
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
Well I left Kentucky back in '49
And went to
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
Detroit working on assembly line
The
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
first year they had me putting wheels on Cadil
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
lac's
Every day I'd watch them beauties roll by
And
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
sometimes I'd hang my head and cry
'Cause I
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
always wanted me one that was long and
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
black
One day I devised myself a plan
That should
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
be the envy of most any man
I'd
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
sneak it outta there in a lunch box in my
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
hand
Now getting caught meant getting fired
But I
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
figured I'd have it all by the time I retired
I'd
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
have me a car worth at least a hundred
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
grand
I'd get it one piece at a time and it
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
wouldn't cost me a dime
You'll
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
know it's me when I come through your
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
town
I'm gonna ride around in style I'm gonna
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
drive everybody wild
'Cause
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
I'll have the only one there is
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
around
So the very next day when I punched in
With my
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
big lunch box and with help from my friends
I
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
left that day with a lunch-box full of
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
gears
I've never considered myself a thief
But
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
GM wouldn't miss just one little piece
Es
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
pecially if I strung it out over several
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
years
The first day I got me a fuel pump
And the
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
next day I got me an engine and a trunk
Then
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
I got me a transmission and all the
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
chrome
The little things I could get in my big lunch box
Like
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
nuts and bolts and all four shocks
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
But the big stuff we snuck out in my buddy's mobile
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
home
Now up to now my plan went alright
Till we
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
tried to put it all together one night
And
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
that's when we noticed that something was definitely
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
wrong
The transmission was a '53
And the
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
motor turned out to be a '73
And
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
when we tried to put in the bolts all the holes were
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
gone
So we drilled it out so that it would fit
And with a little
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
bit of help from an adapter kit
We
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
had that engine running just like a
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
song
Now the headlights they was another sight
We had
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
two on the left and one on the right
But
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
when we pulled out the switch all three of 'em come
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
on
The back end looked kind of funny too
But we
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
put it together and when we got through
Well
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
that's when we noticed that we only had one tail
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
fin
About that time my wife walked out
And I could
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
see in her eyes that she had her doubts
But she
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
opened the door and said honey take me for a
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
spin
So we drove uptown just to get the tags
And I
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
headed her right on down main drag
I could
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
hear everybody laughing for blocks
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
around
But up there at the courthouse they didn't laugh
Cause to
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
type it up it took the whole staff
And when
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
they got through the title weighed sixty
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
pounds
I got it one piece at a time and it
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
wouldn't cost me a dime
You'd
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
know it's me when I come through your
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
town
I'm gonna ride around in style I'm gonna
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
drive everybody wild
'Cause I'll
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
have the only one there is a
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
round
spoken:
Ah yeah Red Rider this is the Cottonmouth
In the Psychobilly Cadillac come on
Ah this is the Cottonmouth and negatory
On the cost of this machine there Red Rider
You might say I went right up to the factory and picked it up
It's cheaper that way
Ah what model is it
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
Well it's a '49, '50, '51, '52,
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
'53, '54, '55, '56
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
'57 '58' 59' Automo
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
bile
It's a '60, '61, '62, '63,
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
'64, '65, '66, '67
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
'68, '69, '70 Automo
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
bile
FAQ
Who sang the the song One Piece At A Time?
- The song One Piece At A Time was sang by Johnny Cash.
Who is Johnny Cash?
- John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash February 26, 1932 - September 12, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his career. He was known for his deep, calm bass-baritone voice, the distinctive sound of his Tennessee Three backing band characterized by train-like chugging guitar rhythms, a rebelliousness coupled with an increasingly somber and humble demeanor, free prison concerts, and a trademark all-black stage wardrobe which earned him the nickname "The Man in Black".Born to poor cotton farmers in Kingsland, Arkansas, Cash rose to fame in the burgeoning rockabilly scene in Memphis, Tennessee, after four years in the Air Force. He traditionally began his concerts by simply introducing himself, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash", followed by "Folsom Prison Blues", one of his signature songs. Alongside "Folsom Prison Blues", his other signature songs include "I Walk the Line", "Ring of Fire", "Get Rhythm", and "Man in Black". He also recorded humorous numbers like "One Piece at a Time" and "A Boy Named Sue", a duet with his future wife June called "Jackson" (followed by many further duets after their wedding), and railroad songs such as "Hey, Porter", "Orange Blossom Special", and "Rock Island Line". During the last stage of his career, he covered songs by contemporary rock artists of the time his most notable covers were "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails, "Rusty Cage" by Soundgarden and, "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode.
Cash is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 90 million records worldwide. His genre-spanning music embraced country, rock and roll, rockabilly, blues, folk, and gospel sounds. This crossover appeal earned him the rare honor of being inducted into the Country Music, Rock and Roll, and Gospel Music Halls of Fame.
