Car Tunes
10 artifacts in this set
Music Sheet, "My Automobile Boy," 1901, Reprinted 1950
Sheet music
Songwriters attempted to cash in on the automobile craze in the early 1900s. This reprint of a 1901 piece of sheet music is one of the first automobile songs.
Music Sheet, "Rosemarie, My Auto Girl," 1901
Sheet music
In this comic song from 1901, a fearless young woman enjoys driving fast in her automobile. Women drivers were uncommon before the mid-1910s.
Music Sheet, "He'd Have to Get Under--Get Out and Get Under, to Fix up His Automobile," 1913
Sheet music
Early automobiles were often unreliable and needed frequent maintenance. Some motorists were able to make roadside repairs--preparing themselves for inevitable breakdowns by carrying tools and supplies. In this song a faulty engine interrupts a young couple's romantic intentions.
Music Sheet, "The Little Ford Rambled Right Along," 1914
Sheet music
This song's exaggerated lyrics make the Model T sound indestructible. The Ford can run over glass and run over nails. If the tire blows out "just wrap it up with wire." You can smash it, crash it, then patch it up with a "piece of string, chewing gum, or any old thing." The little Ford will ramble right along.
Music Sheet, "The Love Story of the Packard and the Ford," 1915
Sheet music
This comic song from 1915 tells what happens when a large expensive Packard falls for a practical, affordable Ford. They marry and raise a family of Buicks.
Music Sheet, "You Can't Afford to Marry, If You Can't Afford a Ford," 1915
Sheet music
The lyrics of this 1915 song suggest that buying an automobile will solve problems with your love life. Poor, carless Percy wants Mary to be his wife, but Mary wants a man with a "machine." It didn't need to be a limousine. What could Percy do? He sells his watch, buys a Ford, and both head off to the parson.
Music Sheet, "Henry's Made a Lady out of Lizzie," 1928
Sheet music
Automobiles have always inspired popular songs. Composer Walter O'Keefe wrote "Henry's Made a Lady out of Lizzie" to commemorate Ford's introduction of the stylish Model A, which replaced the venerable Model T -- the "Tin Lizzie" -- in 1928. In keeping with the ukulele fad of the 1920s, the sheet music's chord fingerings are for that Hawaiian instrument.
Music Sheet, "Little Bo-Peep Has Lost Her Jeep," 1942
Sheet music
Love and romance in automobiles did not stop during World War II. They just took a seat in an army jeep. In this comic song, "Bo-Peep" loses her jeep twice. First her soldier boyfriend must return to base. When he returns, he unwisely lets her drive. She speeds through town and crashes. Bo-Peep has lost her jeep again.
Record Album, The Beach Boys "Little Deuce Coupe," 1964
Phonograph record
The Beach Boys' 1963 album and its hit single, "Little Deuce Coupe," captured the joy of hot rodding. A 1932 Ford is called a "deuce" in rodders' lingo.
Record Album, Ronny and the Daytonas "G.T.O.," 1964
Phonograph record
This 1964 album by Ronny and the Daytonas contains the hot rod classic hit "G.T.O." The song hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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