Verse 
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 


[Refrão]
      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 


[Refrão]
      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 

      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