“‘52 Ford” is the tenth track from Murder By Death’s 2008 album, Red of Tooth and Claw. The song finds the narrator of the album finally coming home to find his wife has become pregnant in his absence, and he attempts to kill her. At the last second, he decides not to go through with it; however, he...
I hit the road in a '52 Ford
A pack of matches and a postcard on the dashboard
The sun was set, the gas gauge was low
And it was time to go
I met the girl at a juke joint on the fly
Needed a friend the day my mother died
Her place was hot and it smelled of sin
I guess when one life goes, another begins
Hey now, what you gonna do?
Got a fiver in your pocket
And a switchblade in your boot
Hey now, what you gonna say
To make it go away?
I found the city by the mark on the stamp
Studied it under the light of a hotel lamp
I found his work, I found their home
I waited until I knew she was alone
I didn't want the child to see life
I justified and it wounded my pride
My mind was set that no one could know
The girl had to go
Hey now, what you gonna do?
Got a fiver in your pocket
And a switchblade in your boot
Hey now, what you gonna say
To make it go away?
Hey now, what you gonna do?
Got a fiver in your pocket
And a switchblade in your boot
Hey now, what you gonna say
To make it go away?
Light stumbled in through a crack in the shades
Reflected off of the edge of my blade
As I reached for the girl with the knife in my hand
I thought, I guess the kid deserves a chance
Her man came in as I started to go
My last intentions, how could he know?
The blade sunk deep into my skin
I guess when one life goes, another begins
’52 Ford was written by Adam Turla.
’52 Ford was produced by Trina Shoemaker.
Murder by Death released ’52 Ford on Tue Mar 04 2008.
Lead singer Adam Turla summarized the narrative of the song while discussing the following song, “Spring Break 1899” in an interview with Indy Week:
The idea is that you have an antihero character who is trying to make it home, and encountering all these obstacles along the way sort of beset by ang...