Chord Chattanoga City Limit Sign by Johnny Cash

spoken G i was thumbin’ a ride one saturday mornin’ C out of nashville totin’ my sack D7 i lent my car to a gal that lived in chattanooga G and she hadn’t ever brought it back . she was drinkin’ pretty heavy , when i let her have it hope she knows it was only a loan ain’t no tellin’ what i might have told her back at the time , but that old car was also my home . about five miles out i was gettin’ kinda tired sweatin’ hard and feelin’ kinda weak i woke up with no cigarettes or nothin’ to drink and i hadn’t had a bite to eat . my nerves was so quick i couldn’t tell where i was shakin’ then a set of brakes sang my song some fellow stuck his head out A ’51 chevy and hollered "hey man , come on . " i tole ’em i was headin’ down to chattanooga they said hop in , we’re goin’ there too and the way they took off in a cloud of smoke i still ain’t believin’ it was true . they had their windows down , and i was sittin’ in the back with my tongue still hung in my throat he was hittin’ just about a hundred and ten and he said , "man , what you think of this boat?" well , there was two semi’s A - strugglin’ up ahead one tryin’ to pass the other they had the whole road blocked so he passed ’em on the right and let me tell you somethin’ brother . i was so nervous my that teeth was clickin’ there wasn’t no way my head could think then the one that was sittin’ on the passenger side turned and said , "hey man , you want somethin’ to drink?" i just shook my head ’cause i couldn’t talk he said ok and then he said cheers them fools was drinkin’ whiskey and wine and chasin’ it down with beer . well , i started sweatin’ that old sticky sweat and i know i was white as a sheet then one turned the radio on wide open and said , "hey man , check that beat . " by the time we reached the top of monteagle i thought i heard a rumblin’ sound and then i saw a sign that said ’fallin’ rock’ and right there i was floorboard bound . i was rollin’ and squirmin’ on the old floorboard too weak to sit or stand and then the driver said "we’re doin’ a hundred and twenty look here man , no hands!" i got up enough nerve to raise up and look by now there couldn’t be no surprise , but his hair was blowin’ all over my face and dandruff blowed in both eyes . he never did drive on the right or left he just kept on ridin’ that line i rubbed my eyes and saw the prettiest thing the chattanooga city limit sign . he slowed down and i said , "mister please! i’d like to get off right here" he said , "aw , ride on into town with us we’e gonna go down n’ pick up some more beer . " i said please once more and he stopped the car and then he handed me my sack said they’d look for me on the road later on in case i wanted to catch a ride back . i got out and sat down by the side of the road feelin’ sick and lookin’ mighty pale i don’t remember anything much after that but next mornin’ , i woke up in jail . i didn’t know anybody in my cell , and didn’t wanta ask why i was there but they all kept grinnin’ and turnin’ their heads and it was more than my head could bear . G so i called the jailer and asked him to tell me C why i was there , if he’d be so kind D he said , {s} {p} "for stoppin’ traffic , while i was huggin’ and kissin’ G the chattanooga city limit sign . "