Song Video
Lyrics
I'm a little hunk of tin,
Nobody knows where I have been.
Got four wheels, and a running board,
I'm a Ford, a Ford, a Ford.
Chorus:
Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep.
Romeo and Juliet,
on the balcony they set.
Juliet has got a date,
Shakespeare's coming 'bout half past eight.
Pepsi-Cola came to town.
Coke-a-Cola shot him down.
Dr. Pepper fixed him up.
Now we all drink Seven-Up.
Seven-Up has got the flu.
What's a person gonna do?
I know what and so do you,
We're all gonna drink Mountain Dew.
Information About Hunk of Tin
Hunk of Tin is a popular American folksong of unknown authorship and not associated with any particular American region. Often anthologized in collections of campfire songs, travel and road trip songs, scout songs, and grammar school songs, it is equally claimed and enjoyed by children and adults alike. It is sometimes called The Ford Song, Baby Blue Ford, Hunk of Tin/Acorn Brown/Smelly Skunk.
Similarly, the first line of the song is easily changed to anything the singer desires, and the succeeding lyrics may be altered as well to suit this revision. This fits in with the variable nature of most folk songs whose lyrics change from singer to singer and region to region, very much like the retelling of a legend takes on new characters and qualities with each subsequent retelling by each subsequent generation.
A popular Valentine's Day variation finds the lyrics "A Little Piece of Lace" set to the Hunk of Tin melody. This version is rare, but a full account of its lyrics is available here.
Unlike other songs on this site, there is no history about this Hunk of Tin. It seems to have sprung up virtually out of nowhere though a great many people recall singing it as children. The song's opening verse suggests it is a whimsical declaration in first person, told from the perspective of the very Hunk of Tin in question. The most common rendition of this song finds the narrator identifying itself as a Ford.
In most versions, the verses following the first are nonsensical and/or downright absurd. The song isn't so much meant to make sense as to provide mindless entertainment, a source of fun, and lyrics whose comical nature lend to their easy retention.
We have a very similar song called I'm not a Chevy, I'm not a Ford, and is more of a parody of this song.
Alternative Lyrics & Related Songs
The song is also known as "I Have A Car Made Of Tin" and has slightly different lyrics
I've got a car
and it's made of tin,
No-body knows what shape it's in
It's got 4 wheels and a running board
It's got 4 door doors,
It's a FORD.
Honk Honk (gesture honking horn)
Rattle Rattle (shake your hands)
Toot (squeeze hands) Crash (clap) Beep Beep (gesture honking horn).
This version talks about Fred's car
Fred was driving in his car
He was driving realy far,
Then he crashed into a tree
Fred fell out and broke his knee.
Superman flies through the air
In his sexy underwear,
Looking for his Lois Lane
Is it a bird, or is it a plane.
Grandpa's beard is long and grey
It gets longer every day
Grandma eats it in her sleep
Says it tastes like shredded wheat.
Romeo and Juliet,
On a balcony they met.
Romeo said to Juliet,
You're the cutest girl that I ever met.
Jaws went swimming in the sea,
Saw a diver for his tea.
Chopped him up into little chunks,
Then spat out his swimming trunks.
This is a fun version for little girls
I'm a little TNT, I'm as cute as I can be.
I can sing and I can dance
And I wear ruffles on my. .
Whoops boys, take another guess!
I wear ruffles on my dress.
This is about the grandparents
Grandpa's beard is long and white
It grows longer every night
Grandma chews it in her sleep
That's how we get shredded wheat.
Chew chew swallow swallow gulp burp burp
Chew chew swallow swallow gulp burp burp
Chew chew swallow swallow gulp burp burp
Chew chew.
And after the soda verses we sing. .
Slurp slurp swallow swallow gulp burp burp
Slurp slurp swallow swallow gulp burp burp
Slurp slurp swallow swallow gulp burp burp
Slurp slurp.
Off-road verison
I'm a little hunk of tin
Nobody knows where I have been
I got four wheels and a running board
I'm a little four by four.
Honk Honk Rattle Rattle Crash Beep Beep
Honk Honk Rattle Rattle Crash Beep Beep
Honk Honk Rattle Rattle Crash Beep Beep
Urka Urka (like brakes) I'm ford
Now baby blue ford.
Romeo and Juliet on a balcony they meet
Juliet she had a date
Her comes Shakespeare in a 48'.
Honk Honk Rattle Rattle Crash Beep Beep
Honk Honk Rattle Rattle Crash Beep Beep
Honk Honk Rattle Rattle Crash Beep Beep
Urka Urka (like brakes) I'm ford
Now baby blue ford.
Coca-Cola came to town
Diet Pepsi shot em' down
Dr. Pepper fixed em' up
Now where drinking 7 Up.
Honk Honk Rattle Rattle Crash Beep Beep
Honk Honk Rattle Rattle Crash Beep Beep
Honk Honk Rattle Rattle Crash Beep Beep
Urka Urka (like brakes) I'm ford
Now baby blue ford.