Manic Mechanic

Album: Degüello (1979)
Play Video
  • You want to race
    If you insist
    At that price
    I can't resist

    That's right
    That's right
    That's right

    Tonight it ain't right
    I got to have me a week
    But I'll be back for you, Jack
    And I'll let the machine speak

    That's right
    That's right
    That's right

    Showdown, you bet
    And I haven't even saddled my pony yet
    Have mercy, Miss Percy
    I done put the coon tune on this bet

    That's right
    That's right
    That's right
    Writer/s: BILLY GIBBONS, FRANK LEE BEARD, JOE MICHAEL HILL
    Publisher: BMG Rights Management
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 7

  • Mark Turner from RaleighBilly says "'Vette" (i.e. Corvette) here since he's already said "bet" in the first line. Listening multiple times seems to confirm this.
  • Race Addict from 1320 FeetRemember Billy is using a distortion box on his vocals. I think he’s using the more common term of “Moon Tune”. A Moon Tune is one that will lift the nose of the car on the starting line as it has plenty of torque.
  • Sad To Know This... But Even Sadder That It Exists At All. from The Pastcoon tune and nig.. rigged were terms I heard at the garage when growing up in Jersey. Being a foreigner and unfamiliar with American slang, I didn't know how racist those terms were. I took it to mean, that when you were poor, you had to find ways to get your ride to go or fix things which cost no $$. I'm hoping that we can figure out real fast that what religion, skin color, geographical location fate happened to born you into, we have a lot more in common than not. Division only serves those who are looking to divide and rule. Keeping all the divisions fighting among them selves, the dividers make off with the loot so to speak. The "dividers" want to be your masters. When you belive the crap they use to divide the public, you serve those masters.
  • Phillip from The Rocket CityBet. He's saying he won the bet because he put the "coon tune" on his car.
  • Ratchet from Da BurghA coon tune is a tune up without new parts. Clean the plugs, set the dwell and timing, adjust the carb. Usually to make the car a little hotter or faster for a race, after it needs detuned so it's more drivable around town. Don't know if the term is racist or not but black folks back in the day generally didn't have alot of bread. I can't believe with all the comments and questions about this lyric nobody got it right, thought this was common knowledge amongst all older gearheads/motorheads.
  • A G from Louisville Did Joe Wayne Hardy play bass on Manic Mechanic?
  • Jon Livingston from Michigan What exactly is the meaning of . "I done put the coon tune on this bet" ? And is it actually bet or vette ?
see more comments

Editor's Picks

70s Music Quiz 1

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Eric Clapton

Eric ClaptonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really write "Cocaine" while on cocaine? This question and more in the Clapton edition of Fact or Fiction.

Sam Phillips

Sam PhillipsSongwriter Interviews

Collaborating with T Bone Burnett, Leslie Phillips changed her name and left her Christian label behind - Robert Plant, who recorded one of her songs on Raising Sand, is a fan.

Carl Sturken

Carl SturkenSongwriter Interviews

Hitmaker Carl Sturken on writing and producing for Rihanna, 'N Sync, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Donny Osmond, Shakira and Karyn White.

Bob Daisley

Bob DaisleySongwriter Interviews

Bob was the bass player and lyricist for the first two Ozzy Osbourne albums. Here's how he wrote songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" with Ozzy and Randy Rhoads.