spoken
"This is a...This is a song that I wrote in one of those moments of deep rage that strike us all. I, I swore a mighty oath that I would write this song and tonight, I keep that promise. I stood on a stage in Midland, Michigan a year ago this summer and swore I would this song. This is a true story."
Flying through the Michigan skies with a song in my innocent heart
I put myself in professional hands, masters of a traveler's art
When I opened my guitar case and the end of the beautiful slide
I'm sure you can imagine my feelings when I beheld this beautiful sight
Thank you, Republic Airlines
For breaking the neck on by guitar
I arrived to do a concert with the Kingston trio
Opened my guitar case with a smile con brio
Thank you, Republic Airlines
What a joy to the musician you are
What a zest you've added to pedestrian skies
It was boring to be flying where the wild goose flies
But the tedium was broken by the wonderful surprise
When you broke the neck on my guitar
Thank you, Republic Airlines
For treating my instrument with care
There can be no greater happiness for the musician
Then to find his instrument in this condition
Ho-ho, Republic Airlines
In the firmament of travel you're a star
For you treat each piece of baggage like a child of your own
When you come across and instrument it drops like a stone
May you waken every morning with a new broken bone
Like you broke the neck on my guitar
Well I have been traveling most of my life and the thrill is long-time gone
And the sight of another DC-10 just fails to turn me on
But I feel my heart start pounding when I get to the baggage claim
And when I see how you've handled my instrument, the thrill is still the same
Thank you, Republic Airlines
For splintering the neck on my guitar
My guitar case was so strong that nothing could go through it
Way to go Republic; only you could do it
Crash bang, Republic Airlines
In the field of demolition you'll go far
For you took it as a challenge when I checked in my case
And you saw the "fragile" stickers glued all over the place
May a team of mad flamingo dancers do to your face
What you did to the neck on my guitar
There can be no satisfaction greater than if
You should be the next to go the way of Braniff