Water In The Fuel

FJE occasionally will tell the story of a song during a concert by doing a prolonged intro, talking about why he wrote the song while the music plays in the background.  He's done it for "White Rose" and "Carmelita: (both of which you can find on YouTube), but my favourite is "Water In The Fuel".  I've seen him do this version a few times, but the first was the best.  He was playing at Ranchman's in Calgary, and it was the first time I saw him after Willy had left the band.  He was playing the Gretsch, adding a new haunting sound to his songs.

The song itself isn't his best wordsmithing by any stretch.  It's a song about a truck driver realizing that his relationship is likely over, and coming to grips on why it happened.  When he thinks "You wanted to buy that little trailer, out on the edge with the money you were saving.  It had a carport, a colour TV, and no place to turn around" he sees that both of them just wanted a better life but their definitions of that better life were different.  She just wanted him, he wanted to work to get more secure, buy new things, whatever.  The point is their path diverged and he's realizing the reasons why and the impact that will have.  

When I listen to the long version of this song, there's one part of the intro that always gets me.  It takes me to times in my life where I've been hopelessly lost without knowing where to go.  It reminds me of times when I know what I was doing wasn't working, but I've continued down the path I know to be wrong anyway.  Times when I've realized that life isn't easy.  That part of the intro (and lyrics to the song) goes like this:

There's a light in every diesel truck and it says water in the fuel.

When it comes on, well it means you have water in the fuel.

Leave that light on too long, and your truck just dies.

Leave that light on too long, and your bus just dies.

Leave that light on too long, and your heart just gets broken........

Well darling I'm coming down on route number 67.

I just got off the turnpike avoiding the Ohio State Inspection.

Johnny Law followed me up the road, then he turned off and he let me go.

I guess this old truck ain't worth shutting down.

Your voice last night on the telephone said you wouldn't be there when I got home,

So when I get to Cleveland I'll head back south.

(Chorus)

The light keeps coming on, I got water in the fuel.

My brakes are gone.

I got a left front tire throwing thread, by tomorrow morning I could be dead.

Baby maybe you were right all along.

You said you couldn't stay with a man who's always going away,

And all you wanted to do was settle down.

You wanted to buy that little trailer, out on the edge with the money you were saving.

It had a carport, a colour TV, and no place to turn around.

(Chorus)

(Bridge)

Remember that winter when the lake froze over,

We drove out there after we unloaded,

We revved that truck and we spun it 'round and 'round.

Then we left it idling out on that ice,

Crawled in the sleeper and I held you tight,

Baby I'm sure on thin ice now.

(Chorus)

Baby maybe you were right all along.

Chords - Most of the song is just G-D-C-C.  The chorus skips one of the C-C progressions.  The bridge adds a Am, if you listen it's easy to pick up.  You can add a little flourish to the second C to make a little more fun.  And again, there's a good chance I don't know my ass from a hole in the ground with these chords.