“She’s a beaute, yes sir she is” said EZ
DAN, fifty five, a bad age,

smelling of Brute from Fabrege’ and sweat

EZ DAN don’t bathe a lot these days (and why
the hell should he anyway?)

“She’s got a few miles on her, but then
again, who don’t?”

he said with a slight chuckle, the recent Binaca
Blast still lingering on his

breath,

“and besides, them’s highway miles”

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other

it certainly wasn’t the car of my dreams, but
the price was right

and EZ DAN assured me the mid 70’s were a
particularly nice period

for Chrysler products in general

“and this one is a Volare’”

and besides, finally having an eight-track means
I can play

all them tapes I ain’t been able to listen to
since high-school

so we stuffed EZ DAN’s body in the trunk and
hauled ass out of town

but somewhere just past the middle of nowhere the
fuel pump blew

and the oil pump too, and the piston rods hurled
straight threw the engine

block

dropping oil, gasoline, water, and anti-freeze
onto the Alabama red clay below

Ain’t that a bitch?

I ain’t never been lucky with love

lyrics by Patterson Hood

music by Drive-by Truckers (Cooley, Hood, Howell,
Lane, Neff, and Sell)