It was 1957 south of San Antonio
Blue Cadillac was stopped by the shoulder of the road
Gene was on his way to work, rolled a window down to see
Big man standing there said “can ya help me please”
A Cadillac, a silk shirt, side of the road
The man by a flat tire was Fats Domino
On the way to Corpus Christi for a package show
With a nail in his tire, it was Fats Domino
Fats had been driving separate from the band
Gene was passing by thought he could use a helping hand
So he jacked up the car, got the flat up in the air
Twisted off the lug nuts and mounted up the spare
A Cadillac, a silk shirt, side of the road
The man by a flat tire was Fats Domino
Gene could sing and yodel, he could play the steel guitar
Fats could play piano and he had a brand new car
Gene was used to bad roads, hazards on the way
Fats couldn’t change a flat, but he had a show to play
Gene’s teenage kids could fix a flat on their own
Fats gave a stack of records, Gene brought them home
His daughters jumped and danced to “Blueberry Hill”
But “I’m Walking” was the one that gave em such a thrill
A Cadillac, a silk shirt, side of the road
The man by a flat tire was Fats Domino
That night in ’57 at the downtown Coliseum
Six thousand fans showed up to see him
Teenagers, black and white, smiling, clapping hands
They never hit a flat note, Fats and his band
A Cadillac, a silk shirt, side of the road
The man by a flat tire was Fats Domino
They never hit a flat note, Fats and his band
Though he hit a sharp nail, he was helped out by this man
So the moral of the story now you can plainly see
Don’t pass by a car by the road without looking in to see
You never know who the car’s driver could be
If you help you play your part in rock n roll history
A Cadillac, a silk shirt, side of the road
The man by a flat tire was Fats Domino
My grandad was a young man but he got him to the show
When he helped change a tire for Fats Domino
My grandad was a young man but he helped to save the show
These are the good folks you can hear playing on the recording, L to R: Trevor on keys, Matt on guitar, me through the glass door in the vocal room, Clint on drums but standing and pointing in the photo, Z on bass, and Gordy in the control room.
Produced by Gordy Quist
Recorded at The Finishing School, Austin, Texas
Mixed by Steve Christensen
Drums: Clint Simmons
Bass: Z Lynch
Guitar: Matt Tedder
Piano, Organ: Treavor Nealon
Harmony Vocals: Gordy Quist
©2025 Owen Temple Music (BMI)