Carl Perkins' Cadillac

by Mike Cooley

Life ain't nothing but a blending up
Of all the ups and downs
Dammit Elvis, don't you know
You made your Mama so proud
Before you ever made that record
Before there ever was a Sun
Before you ever lost that Cadillac
That Carl Perkins won

Mr. Phillips found old Johnny Cash
And he was high
High before he ever took those pills
And he's still too proud to die
Mr. Phillips never said anything
Behind nobody's back
Like 'Dammit Elvis, don't he know
'He ain't no Johnny Cash'

If Mr. Phillips was the only man
That Jerry Lee still would call Sir
Then I guess Mr. Phillips did all of y'all
About as good as you deserve
He did just what he said he's gonna do
And the money came in sacks
New contracts and Carl Perkins' Cadillac

I got friends in Nashville
Or at least they're folks I know
Nashville is where you go
To see if what is said is so
Carl drove his brand new Cadillac to Nashville
And he went downtown
This time they promised him a Grammy
He turned his Cadillac around

Mr. Phillips never blew enough hot air
To need a little gold plated paperweight
He promised him a Cadillac
And put the wind in Carl's face
He did just what he said he's gonna do
And the money came in sacks
New contracts and Carl Perkins' Cadillac

Dammit Elvis, I swear, son
I think it's time you came around
Making money you can't spend
Ain't what being dead's about
You gave me all but one good reason
Not to do all the things you did
Now Cadillacs are fiberglass
If you were me you'd call it quits

If Mr. Phillips was the only man
That Jerry Lee still would call Sir
Then I guess Mr. Phillips did all of y'all
About as good as you deserve
He did just what he said he's gonna do
And the money came in sacks
New contracts and Carl Perkins' Cadillac