Old Black Record 

Did you hear that old black record that was numbered 221 
The rooster on that yellow label told you it was SUN 
Did that slap-back echo rock your house back in 1955 
When an old blond telecaster brought that magic sound alive 
And that black-haired kid from Arkansas sang, "Cry Cry Cry" 
He's the reason that I'm singin' now, if you had wondered why 

With a piece of paper woven through the strings to get the sound 
To play that drivin' rhythm, even with no drums around 
But it ain't that black-haired guy alone, and folks, here is the clue 
There's some cats a-boppin' with him called the Tennessee Two 
They're rockin' through the Southland like you ain't never seen 
With "Hey Porter", "Doggone Lonesome", and that "Teenage Queen" 

With that big bass fiddle mounted to the top of that old car 
They travel 'round the country, play that rhythm near and far 
Sometimes their hands will mute the strings, sometimes they let 'em ring 
But that beat is drivin' forward, man, with every song they sing 
While one line says, "Get Rhythm", why, that ain't hard to do 
We're talkin' Memphis, Johnny Cash, and the Tennessee Two 

Well, the Lord called Luther home way back in 1968 
And for a while, you couldn’t find those brilliant albums that John made 
The years went flying by, and now it's 60 years ago 
And for a while back in the 80s John R. took it kinda slow 
But thank God, the man came back, I hope he came to your hometown 
To sing some songs from old black records in that old familiar sound 

Words & Music by Bernd Wolf, © 1995