Lyrics American Car - David Roth

American Car

Back in '89, I bought a little Escort
Though I should have known a Ford would flop and bend
Ever since my mom’s convertible Torino
Lemon yellow, no coincidence, my friend.
But I drove that pre-owned pushcart with abandon
'Til the moment when her engine gasket blew
At which point I could no longer Dodge the obvious
Though the gods of indecision blurred my view
In the shadow of the door at Jimmy’s garage
Going back and forth, to fix or not to fix
When conspicuous consumption seized my psyche
Had a hot flash, kinda like the Dixie Chicks
I said Jimmy «Don't repair that faithless wagon»
There’s a brand new auto dealer 'cross the street
Thus I marched into that showroom with my checkbook
And drove outta there in brand new bucket seats
In the purchase of this rig I was determined
That America would be where it was made
Thus supporting auto workers in our country
Who were union men and women, fairly paid
And so a Caravan became my new companion
I was feeling proud and proletarian
'Til I found it was assembled near Toronto
And the engine 'neath the hood was from Japan
So much for buying local, I’d been thwarted
And to top it off, my wife could not believe
I would opt for such a middle-classy chassis
Instead of something with a bit more «joie-de-vivre»
But that mini van endured my rigorous paces
Couple hundred thousand miles, eleven years
'Til this spring when it not longer passed inspection
Time again to face those roadster racketeers
If you’ve ever bought a buggy from a dealer
There are several things I know will hurt you less
Like a root canal, a hurricane, a plague or two
Or an audit from your local IRS
Did some surfing on the web compiling research
I would not be fooled again by pedigree
'Til I chanced on something perfect for my purpose
Neither minivan, sedan or SUV
It’s an auto like no other, I assure you
Defying all description, heretofore
It’s the bain of some, the pure delight of others
An American original I adore
Friends, I’m standing here to testify and witness
That I’ve found a buggy that I’m really fonda
And the whole darn thing from head to toe
Was made right here in Ohio
I’m finally in my element, a Honda