by The Tractor Broke Down Again
By Debbie “Hayride” Harper & The Prairie Songbirds
DOWNLOAD DEBBIE and The Prairie Songbirds
Hi, I’m Debbie.
This is a little “County Line” Ditty.
[Verse 1]
Woke up this mornin’, had a list a mile long
Thought I’d start the day with the tractor’s song
But when I turned that key, she sputtered and died
Oh Lord, I swear, I nearly cried
[Chorus]
The tractor broke down again, my friend
Guess I’ll be fixin’ it till the cows come in
With grease on my hands and a prayer on my lips
This old machine’s givin’ me fits
Oh, the tractor broke down again
[Verse 2]
I called up the neighbor, said, “Can I borrow yours?”
He just laughed and said, “Mine’s stuck in the barn doors”
So I grabbed my wrench and an old spare part
Figured I’d give this beast a jumpstart
[Chorus]
But the tractor broke down again, my friend
Guess I’ll be fixin’ it till the cows come in
With grease on my hands and a prayer on my lips
This old machine’s givin’ me fits
Oh, the tractor broke down again
[Bridge]
I’ve patched her up with duct tape and string
Thought I’d seen the last of this dang ol’ thing
But every time I think she’ll run just fine
She coughs, she wheezes, and changes her mind
[Verse 3]
Now the sun’s settin’ low, and I’m still here
Covered in oil and filled with fear
That tomorrow morning when I try to start
This old tractor’ll fall apart
[Chorus]
The tractor broke down again, my friend
Guess I’ll be fixin’ it till the cows come in
With grease on my hands and a prayer on my lips
This old machine’s givin’ me fits
Oh, the tractor broke down again
[Outro]
So here’s to the farmers who know this pain
Of tryin’ to keep an old tractor sane
We’ll fix her up and start all over
But I swear next time, I’m callin’ a tow-er
Yeah, the tractor broke down again
This song captures the humor and frustration that every farmer feels when their old, faithful tractor just won’t cooperate. With its catchy chorus and relatable verses, “The Tractor Broke Down Again” is sure to bring a smile to anyone who’s ever had to wrestle with stubborn farm equipment.
The Tragic Comedy of a Farmer’s Life: “The Tractor Broke Down Again”
When Hayride Debbie and The Prairie Songbirds first rolled out their latest hit, “The Tractor Broke Down Again,” it was like they had tapped into the collective sigh of every farmer across the nation. If you’ve ever found yourself muttering a few choice words under your breath while staring at a smoking engine, this song is your new anthem.
Let’s face it, the relationship between a farmer and their tractor is a lot like a long marriage—full of ups, downs, and more than a few moments of “Why did I ever get into this?” Except instead of arguing over the remote control, you’re wrestling with a hunk of metal that seems to have a mind of its own. One minute, you’re cruising through the field, feeling like a king (or queen) of the land. The next, your faithful steed has decided to take a nap in the middle of the pasture, leaving you stranded with nothing but a wrench and some very creative vocabulary.
Debbie’s lyrics hit home right from the start: “Woke up this mornin’, had a list a mile long / Thought I’d start the day with the tractor’s song.” It’s the classic farmer’s optimism, isn’t it? You wake up at the crack of dawn, ready to tackle the day, and then—BAM!—reality hits. Or, more accurately, your tractor refuses to start, as if it’s decided that today’s the day it’s going to unionize.
And then there’s the chorus, the part that every farmer can relate to: “The tractor broke down again, my friend / Guess I’ll be fixin’ it till the cows come in.” It’s the kind of refrain that should come with its own manual. Sure, you’ve fixed this thing a hundred times before, but somehow, every breakdown is a brand-new adventure in mechanical misery. It’s like the tractor is secretly attending night classes on how to develop new problems just to keep you on your toes.
But Debbie doesn’t just stop at the frustration. No, she dives into the absurdity of it all: “I called up the neighbor, said, ‘Can I borrow yours?’ / He just laughed and said, ‘Mine’s stuck in the barn doors.’” Of course it is! Because in the world of farming, misery truly does love company. And nothing bonds neighbors faster than the shared disaster of malfunctioning machinery.
The song really peaks with the bridge, where Debbie croons, “I’ve patched her up with duct tape and string / Thought I’d seen the last of this dang ol’ thing.” Ah, the farmer’s ultimate toolkit: duct tape and hope. But just when you think you’ve finally outsmarted the machine, it coughs, wheezes, and decides to quit. It’s almost as if the tractor is playing a game, and the prize is your sanity.
By the time the sun is setting and Debbie’s still covered in grease, you can almost see the farmers across America nodding in agreement, thinking, “Yep, been there.” But it’s not all doom and gloom. The song ends with a light-hearted vow: “But I swear next time, I’m callin’ a tow-er.” Because let’s be honest, sometimes the best fix is just admitting defeat and getting someone else to haul that stubborn beast away.
So, if you’re a farmer or know one, “The Tractor Broke Down Again” is the perfect soundtrack to your daily grind. It’s a humorous reminder that while the tractor might break down, the farmer’s spirit never will. And as long as there’s another day, another field, and another roll of duct tape, you’ll keep on plowing through—no matter how many times that old tractor tries to call it quits.
Originally posted 2012-08-31 13:51:36.
