“One Piece at a Time” is a song written by Wayne Kemp and recorded by Johnny Cash in 1976. The song describes a man who works at the Cadillac factory in Detroit and dreams of owning a Cadillac himself. However, he cannot afford one, so he decides to steal pieces of the car from the factory over a period of years, with the intention of assembling his own car piece by piece.
Verse 1
The song starts with the man working on the assembly line at the Cadillac plant, where he sees all the new cars being built. He dreams of owning one but knows he cannot afford it. He then hatches a plan to build his own car, one piece at a time.
Chorus
The chorus of the song is catchy and tells the story of the man’s plan. He says he’s going to build his car “one piece at a time” and “it won’t cost me a dime”. He also mentions that he’s going to do it “slowly but surely” and “take the long way home”.
Verse 2
In the second verse, the man begins his plan by stealing the smallest parts of the car, like a hood ornament or a starter motor. He does this over a period of years, and eventually has all the parts he needs to build his own car.
Verse 3
In the third verse, the man assembles the car in his garage, but encounters some problems. Some of the parts don’t fit together properly, and he has to do some improvising to get the car to work. However, he is proud of his creation and drives it around town, showing it off to everyone he meets.
Verse 4
In the final verse, the man decides to take his car to the local Cadillac dealership to show it off. However, the dealership is not impressed and tells him that his car is not a true Cadillac because it was not built in the factory. The man is disappointed but still proud of his creation, and drives away with his “one piece at a time” car.
Conclusion
“One Piece at a Time” is a classic Johnny Cash song that tells the story of a man who dreams of owning a Cadillac but cannot afford one. He decides to build his own car, one piece at a time, by stealing parts from the factory where he works. The song is catchy and fun, with a great story that keeps listeners engaged. It is a must-listen for any Johnny Cash fan, and a great example of his storytelling abilities.
