E
Most of the favorite memories of my boyhood days in Arkansas
                                                           A
Are scattered around an old wood stove at a place we call John's

It was just an old tar paper shack
                                 E
With a pump out front and some junk out back

But inside there was always a hot cup of coffee
                                       A
And a warm place around the fire for anyone
                                                        E
John pumped gas for a living and he fixed tires on the side

And I guess old John could fix most anything
                            A
If you didn't push it he'd try

And he gave me my first charge account for some gas
       E
And financed my first date

Even fixed my old radio just in case I got lucky
                                A
And wanted to park down by the lake

[Chorus]
      D                                         
And among the carburetors and the re-built generators
   A                                   E            A
I spent the whole night picking on an old flattop guitar
       D                                            
John would play the fiddle and I'd always sing a little
     A                                     E                 A
No there is no place to get filled up the way you could at John's

[Verse]
       E
John taught me a whole lot about country music because he loved it
                                                              A
We'd sit up and listen to the Grand Ole Opry every Saturday night

Nobody would ever say a word, not even during Martha White
                                                 E
And I was awfully young back then, but still I knew just why

That John closed the shop the whole day
                             A
When we heard that Hank had died

There was something else special about ole John

[Verse]
    E
He had a way of making us kids feel important
                                           A
Simply by giving us a good clean place to hang out
                                   E
Well I can still hear him saying pumping gas is a fever boys
                                                                 A
It'll get in your blood and it'll make your face break out in a grin
                                 E                          A
Just to check old lady Hanson's oil or to help a stranded friend

[Chorus]
      D                                         
And among the carburetors and the re-built generators
   A                                   E            A
I spent the whole night picking on an old flattop guitar
       D                                            
John would play the fiddle and I'd always sing a little
     A                                     E                 A
No there is no place to get filled up the way you could at John's

[Chorus]
      D                                         
And among the carburetors and the re-built generators
   A                                   E            A
I spent the whole night picking on an old flattop guitar
       D                                            
John would play the fiddle and I'd always sing a little
     A                                     E                 A
No there is no place to get filled up the way you could at John's