One Piece at a Time - wikipedia One Piece at a Time For the Johnny Cash album, see One Piece at a Time ( album ). `` One Piece at a Time '' Single by Johnny Cash from the album One Piece at a Time B - side `` Go On Blues '' Released March 1976 ( 1976 - 03 ) Format 7 - inch single Genre Country, rockabilly, novelty Length 4 : 00 Label Columbia Songwriter ( s ) Wayne Kemp Producer ( s ) Charlie Bragg, Don Davis Johnny Cash singles chronology `` Strawberry Cake '' ( 1976 ) `` One Piece at a Time '' ( 1976 ) `` Sold Out of Flagpoles '' ( 1976 ) Audio sample file help `` One Piece at a Time '' is a country novelty song written by Wayne Kemp and recorded by Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three in 1976. It was the last song performed by Cash to reach number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and the last of Cash 's songs to reach the Billboard Hot 100, on which it peaked at number 29. Contents 1 Background 2 In popular culture 3 Charts 4 References 5 External links Background Johnny Cash 's `` One Piece at a Time '' Cadillac. Cash is in the driver 's seat and Bruce Fitzpatrick is standing at the far right. The singer leaves his home in Kentucky in 1949 to pursue work at General Motors in Detroit, Michigan. He installs wheels on Cadillacs, watching each one roll by day after day on the assembly line, knowing that he will never be able to afford one of his own. Beginning almost immediately, the singer and a co-worker decide to `` steal '' a Cadillac by way of using their assembly line jobs to obtain the parts via salami slicing. He takes the small parts home hidden in his unusually large lunch box ; larger parts are smuggled out in his co-worker's motorhome. The process of accumulating all the necessary parts turns out to take at least 25 years ( the newest part mentioned, the engine, is from 1973 ), but once they have what they think is a complete car, they attempt to assemble the pieces. Because automakers inevitably make numerous changes to their models, designs and parts over the course of a quarter - century, the result was a hodgepodge of parts from different years and models that did not fit together well ( the bolt holes disappear when attempting to fit the engine with a 1953 transmission, there was only one right headlight and two left headlights, and they only had one tail fin ). Despite these problems, the singer and his co-worker get the car in proper working condition. The singer 's wife is surprised at the outcome, but wants a ride in it anyway. Townspeople began laughing at the singer 's unique car as he takes it to have it registered. However, the folks at the courthouse were not as pleased -- it took the `` whole staff '' to type up the vehicle title, which ended up weighing 60 pounds ( 27 kg ). The song ends with a CB radio conversation between the singer and a truck driver inquiring about the `` psychobilly Cadillac '', in which the singer replies, `` you might say I went right up to the factory and picked it up ; it 's cheaper that way ''. The song is in a moderate tempo in the key of F major, with a main chord pattern of F-B ♭ - C - F. The verses are done in a talking blues style ; Cash had used a similar spoken - word format and chord progression in his earlier hit `` A Boy Named Sue. '' In popular culture Bruce Fitzpatrick, owner of Abernathy Auto Parts and Hilltop Auto Salvage in Nashville, Tennessee, was asked by the promoters of the song to build the vehicle for international promotion. Fitzpatrick had all the models of Cadillacs mentioned in the song when it was released and built a car using the song as a model. The result was presented to Cash in April 1976. It was parked outside The House of Cash in Hendersonville, Tennessee, until someone could find a place to store it. After The House of Cash Museum closed, Bruce Fitzpatrick retrieved the ' 49 -- ' 70 Cadillac with a wrecker and brought it back to Abernathy Auto Parts and Hilltop Auto Salvage in Nashville, Tennessee, and crushed it. The song was covered by Chicago rock band Tub Ring for the 2001 Johnny Cash tribute album, Cash from Chaos. The psychobilly Cadillac from the `` One Piece at a Time '' video is at the Storytellers museum in Bon Aqua, Tennessee. This is a different car than the one made by Bruce Fitzpatrick. This car was made at the behest of Bill Patch of Welch, OK and constructed by Leland Mayfield, Harley Malone, Eldon McCoy and Don. P. Chenoweth. An attempt at building a vehicle `` one piece at a time '' was completed successfully over a five - year period by a Chinese motorcycle assembly line worker in Chongqing. Charts Chart ( 1976 ) Peak position US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) US Billboard Hot 100 29 U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 6 Canadian RPM Country Tracks Canadian RPM Top Singles 40 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary UK Singles Chart 32 References Jump up ^ `` Hall of Fame - Wayne Kemp ''. Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits : 1944 - 2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 76. Jump up ^ `` ' One Piece at a Time ' sheet music ''. MusicNotes.com. Retrieved 5 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` The House Of Cash ''. stevenmenke.com. Retrieved 9 April 2013. Jump up ^ Neel, Lara ( 3 March 2014 ). `` A ' 49 -- ' 70 Cadillac Built for Johnny Cash ''. Motorbooks. Retrieved 29 December 2014. Jump up ^ Jimmie Tramel, Unusual Gift for Johnny Cash turned Welch into Cash Country. '' Tulsa World August 13, 2017. http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/17towns/towns-in-unusual-gift-for-johnny-cash-turned-welch-into/article_b2607cc5-3ebd-5ccd-a5ea-bd430b6a2c3b.html Jump up ^ `` Man stole motorbike - part by part ''. Ananova. Archived from the original on 22 August 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` Johnny Cash Chart History ( Hot Country Songs ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Johnny Cash Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2002 ). Top Adult Contemporary : 1961 - 2001. Record Research. p. 49. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1976 - 07 - 03. Retrieved 2018 - 01 - 04. External links Lyrics as they appear on Yahoo ! Music Origin of the Second Cadillac as presented by the Antique Automobile Club of America. See also ( 1 ) Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` After All the Good Is Gone '' by Conway Twitty Billboard Hot Country Singles number - one single May 29 - June 6, 1976 Succeeded by `` I 'll Get Over You '' by Crystal Gayle RPM Country Tracks number - one single June 19, 1976 Succeeded by `` El Paso City '' by Marty Robbins Johnny Cash Studio albums With His Hot and Blue Guitar Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous The Fabulous Johnny Cash Greatest ! Songs of Our Soil Sings Hank Williams Now, There Was a Song ! Now Here 's Johnny Cash The Sound of Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train Ring of Fire : The Best of Johnny Cash The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash I Walk the Line Orange Blossom Special Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness Is You Old Golden Throat More of Old Golden Throat Hello, I 'm Johnny Cash The World of Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love Any Old Wind That Blows Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver Rockabilly Blues The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Rainbow Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Classic Cash : Hall of Fame Series Water from the Wells of Home Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life American Recordings Unchained American III : Solitary Man American IV : The Man Comes Around Personal File American V : A Hundred Highways American VI : Ai n't No Grave Out Among the Stars Concept albums Ride This Train Blood, Sweat and Tears Bitter Tears : Ballads of the American Indian Sings the Ballads of the True West From Sea to Shining Sea America : A 200 - Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Children 's Album The Rambler Gospel albums Hymns by Johnny Cash Hymns from the Heart The Holy Land The Gospel Road Sings Precious Memories A Believer Sings the Truth Believe in Him Return to the Promised Land My Mother 's Hymn Book Christmas albums The Christmas Spirit The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Classic Christmas Johnny Cash Country Christmas Collaborations The Lure of the Grand Canyon Carryin ' On with Johnny Cash and June Carter Johnny Cash and His Woman The Legend of Jesse James Million Dollar Quartet The Survivors Live Highwayman Class of ' 55 Heroes Highwayman 2 The Road Goes on Forever VH1 Storytellers Live albums At Folsom Prison At San Quentin The Johnny Cash Show På Österåker Strawberry Cake Koncert v Praze ( In Prague -- Live ) At Madison Square Garden A Concert Behind Prison Walls Non-gospel soundtracks I Walk the Line Little Fauss and Big Halsy Compilations Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Heart of Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Sunday Morning Coming Down International Superstar Five Feet High and Rising Destination Victoria Station Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 The Unissued Johnny Cash Johnny & June Tall Man Encore Biggest Hits The Man in Black 1954 -- 1958 The Man in Black 1959 -- 1962 Come Along and Ride This Train The Essential Johnny Cash ( 1992 ) Wanted Man The Man in Black 1963 -- 1969 The Man in Black -- His Greatest Hits 16 Biggest Hits Love, God, Murder The Essential Johnny Cash ( 2002 ) Unearthed The Legend The Legend of Johnny Cash Johnny Cash : Patriot 16 Biggest Hits : Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II The Complete Columbia Album Collection Songs `` 25 Minutes to Go '' `` Seasons of My Heart '' `` Any Old Wind That Blows '' `` A Wonderful Time Up There '' `` The Ballad of Boot Hill '' `` The Ballad of Ira Hayes '' `` Ballad of a Teenage Queen '' `` Big River '' `` Blistered '' `` A Boy Named Sue '' `` Busted '' `` Cat 's in the Cradle '' `` Cocaine Blues '' `` Cry ! Cry ! Cry ! '' `` Daddy Sang Bass '' `` Dark as a Dungeon '' `` Do n't Take Your Guns to Town '' `` Engine 143 '' `` Flesh and Blood '' `` The Folk Singer '' `` Folsom Prison Blues '' `` Forty Shades of Green '' `` Get Rhythm '' `` Give My Love to Rose '' `` Goodnight, Irene '' `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' `` Greystone Chapel '' `` Guess Things Happen That Way '' `` Hey, Porter '' `` Home of the Blues '' `` Hurt '' `` I Could n't Keep from Crying '' `` I Love You Because '' `` I Still Miss Someone '' `` I Walk the Line '' `` If I Had a Hammer '' `` If I Were a Carpenter '' `` In My Life '' `` In the Jailhouse Now '' `` It Ai n't Me Babe '' `` Jackson '' `` Kate '' `` The Man Comes Around '' `` Man in Black '' `` The Matador '' `` Oh Lonesome Me '' `` One Piece at a Time '' `` Oney '' `` Orange Blossom Special '' `` The One on the Right Is on the Left '' `` Remember the Alamo '' `` ( Ghost ) Riders in the Sky '' `` Ring of Fire '' `` Rock Island Line '' `` So Doggone Lonesome '' `` Sunday Mornin ' Comin ' Down '' `` Tennessee Flat Top Box '' `` There Ai n't No Good Chain Gang '' `` A Thing Called Love '' `` Understand Your Man '' `` What Is Truth '' `` What 'd I Say '' Television The Johnny Cash Show Family June Carter Cash John Carter Cash Rosanne Cash Carlene Carter Tommy Cash Carter Family Related Albums discography Singles discography Sun Records discography The Highwaymen Carter Family Fold Man in Black : His Own Story in His Own Words Cash : The Autobiography Johnny Cash ! The Man, His World, His Music Walk the Line We Walk the Line : A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash Ring of Fire ( 2013 film ) Ring of Fire ( musical ) My Father and the Man in Black Forever Words Dyess, Arkansas The Tennessee Three Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=One_Piece_at_a_Time&oldid=836059646 '' Categories : 1976 singles Johnny Cash songs Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles RPM Country Tracks number - one singles Songs written by Wayne Kemp RPM Adult Contemporary number - one singles Songs about automobiles Songs about labor Novelty songs Columbia Records singles 1976 songs Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Italiano Polski Edit links This page was last edited on 12 April 2018, at 13 : 03. 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Question: jonny cash one piece at a time car
Answer: Cadillac