Bill Davis and Beth Baird

Rebel Without a Car

 

Kinda thought he’d like to be another James Dean

Hair is slick, moves are quick and he’s eighteen

But he ain’t got no wheels to make the scene

 

Earned a reputation as the prince of the street

Used to drive a hot rod nobody could beat

But now he does his cruisin’ by movin’ his feet

 

Thumbs up for draggin’ at a Friday night race

Rebel bet his pink slip he’d come in first place

From now on he’ll be movin’ at a much slower pace

 

Rebel, remember the night we met?

You came to the sock hop

in your cherry custom hot rod convertible.

Cruisin Ventura

in your blue metallic flake chrome machine

I knew it was true love.

 As I sank down in those red leather

tuck and roll bucket seats, I knew it was forever.

We should have never gone up on Mulholland to race.

They said it was dangerous

but you always had to be so macho.

It was lucky you didn’t crash

but Rebel, you still lost our car.

 

Rebel, I hate to tell you this but

if you don’t get your car back soon,

I won’t be able to go out with you again.

I couldn’t be seen dead ridin’ a bus.

Oh, by the way Rebel, remember Johnny?

Yeah, you know, the guy with the pizza face

Well, I might have to go to the prom with him

Cause he does have your car.

Bill Davis  (William H. Davis, Jr) was a Deputy Attorney General in California for twenty-nine years and a bass player in the band, Modern Society.  He is now writing his autobiography, short stories, a family tree and songs.