American Folk Songs & Ballads

The Erie Canal

The American Folk Experience

The Erie Canal

by John Fitzsimmons | The American Folk Experience

I’ve got a mule and her name is Sal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
She’s a good old worker and a good old pal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

We haul’d some barges in our day
Filled with lumber, coal and hay
We know every inch of the way
From Albany to Buffalo

Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge, we’re comin’ to a town
And you’ll always know your neighbor
And you’ll always know your pal
If ya ever navigated on the Erie Canal

We’d better look around for a job, old gal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
You can bet your life I’ll never part with Sal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

Get up mule, here comes a lock
We’ll make Rome ’bout six o’clock
One more trip and back we’ll go
Right back home to Buffalo

Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge, we’re comin’ to a town
You’ll always know your neighbor
And you’ll always know your pal
If ya ever navigated on the Erie Canal

Where would I be if I lost my pal?
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
I’d like to see a mule good as my Sal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

A friend of mine once got her sore
Now he’s got a broken jaw
‘Cause she let fly with an iron toe
And kicked him back to Wisconsin

Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge, ’cause we’re comin’ to a town
You’ll always know your neighbor
And you’ll always know your pal
If ya ever navigated on the euphrates canal

Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge, we’re comin’ to a town
You’ll always know your neighbor
And you’ll always know your pal
If ya ever made a livin’ on the Erie Canal

(Low bridge, everybody down)
(Low bridge, we’re comin’ to a town)

Original Version: 1905 Thomas Allen 

If you have any more information to share about this song or helpful links, please post as a comment. Thanks for stopping by the site! ~John Fitz

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I am indebted to the many friends who share my love of traditional songs and to the many scholars whose works are too many to include here. I am also incredibly grateful to the collector’s curators and collators of Wikipedia, Mudcat.org, MainlyNorfolk.info, and TheContemplator.com for their wise, thorough and informative contributions to the study of folk music. 

I share their research on my site with humility, thanks, and gratitude. Please cite their work accordingly with your own research. If you have any research or sites you would like to share on this site, please post in the comment box.  Thanks!

Source: Wikipedia

"Low Bridge, Everybody Down"
Cover of sheet music published in 1913.
Original publication of "Low Bridge, Everybody Down"
Also known as
  • "Fifteen Years on the Erie Canal"
  • "Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal"
  • "Erie Canal Song"
  • "Mule Named Sal"
LyricsThomas S. Allen, 1913
MusicThomas S. Allen, 1913
Audio sample
"Low Bridge! Everybody Down" (Original piano accompaniment for the song by Thomas S. Allen. From the 1913 sheet music. Performed by Steven M. Alper.)

"Low Bridge, Everybody Down" is a folk song credited to Thomas S. Allen (although its origin and authorship remain in question[1]), first recorded in 1912,[2] and published by F.B. Haviland Publishing Company in 1913.[3] It was written after the construction of the New York State Barge Canal, which would replace the Erie Canal, was well underway, furthering the change from mule power to engine power, raising the speed of traffic. Also known as "Fifteen Years on the Erie Canal", "Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal", "Erie Canal Song", "Erie Barge Canal", and "Mule Named Sal", the song memorializes the years from 1825 to 1880 when the mule barges made boomtowns out of Utica, Rome, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo, and transformed New York into the Empire State.

The music cover published in 1913 depicts a boy on a mule getting down to pass under a bridge, but the reference to "low bridge" in the song refers to travelers who would typically ride on top of the boats. The low bridges would require them to get down out of the way to allow safe passage under a bridge.[4]

Recordings

Early 20th-century recordings of the song include ones by Billy Murray, Vernon Dalhart, and Jack Nerz. The song has become part of the folk repertoire, recorded by folksingers like Glenn Yarborough, Pete Seeger and the Weavers, The Kingston Trio, the children's series VeggieTales, and artists like the Sons of the Pioneers. Dan Zanes included it on a children's album with Suzanne Vega singing lead. Bruce Springsteen recorded the song on his 2006 album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. The cartoon series Animanics parodied "Low Bridge" with their song about the Panama Canal. The lyrics are also the text of the book The Erie Canal (1970), illustrated by Peter Spier.

Lyrics

These are the lyrics as they were originally published by Thomas Allen in 1913:

I've got an old mule, and her name is Sal, Fifteen years on the Erie Canal
She's a good old worker and a good old pal, Fifteen years on the Erie Canal
We've hauled some barges in our day, filled with lumber, coal and hay.
And every inch of the way I know, From Albany to Buffalo

Low bridge, everybody down, Low bridge, we must be getting near a town.
You can always tell your neighbor; you can always tell your pal.
If he's ever navigated on the Erie Canal

We’d better look 'round for a job old gal, Fifteen years on the Erie Canal
You bet your life I wouldn’t part with Sal, Fifteen years on the Erie Canal
Giddyap there gal we’ve passed that lock, we’ll make Rome 'fore six o-clock
So one more trip and then we’ll go, Right straight back to Buffalo

Low bridge, everybody down, Low bridge, I've got the finest mule in town
Once a man named Mike McGinty tried to put it over Sal
Now he’s way down at the bottom of the Erie Canal

Oh, where would I be if I lost my pal? Fifteen years on the Erie Canal
Oh, I'd like to see a mule as good as Sal, Fifteen years on the Erie Canal
A friend of mine once got her sore, Now, he's got a broken jaw.
Cause she let fly with her iron toe and kicked him into Buffalo.

Low bridge, everybody down, Low bridge, I’ve got the finest mule in town.
If you're looking 'round for trouble, better stay away from Sal.
She's the only fighting donkey on the Erie Canal

I don't have to call when I want my Sal, Fifteen years on the Erie Canal
She trots from her stall like a good old gal, Fifteen years on the Erie Canal
I eat my meals with Sal each day, I eat beef and she eat hay.
She isn’t so slow if you want to know, she put the "Buff" in Buffalo

Chorus: Low bridge, everybody down, Low bridge, I’ve got the finest mule in town
Eats a bale of hay for dinner, and on top of that, my Sal.
Tries to drink up all the water in the Erie Canal

You'll soon hear them sing everything about my gal, Fifteen years on the Erie Canal
It's a darned fool ditty 'bout my darned fool Sal, Fifteen years on the Erie Canal
Oh, every band will play it soon, Darned fool words and darned fool tune!
You’ll hear it sung everywhere you go, from Mexico to Buffalo

Low bridge, everybody down, Low bridge, I've got the finest mule in town.
She's a perfect, perfect lady, and she blushes like a gal.
If she hears you sing about her and the Erie Canal.[1]

Variations

As with most folk songs, the lyrics have changed over time. The most obvious changes from Thomas Allen's original publication has been changing the word "years" to "miles". Allen's original version commemorates 15 years of working along the canal with Sal. The new version using the word miles refers to the average distance a mule would tow a barge before resting or being relieved by another mule. Dave Ruch's research on this change has been documented in an extensive article.[1]

Another common change is in the second verse. The current line "Git up there mule, here comes a lock" is a change from the original line "Get up there gal, we've passed that lock". The original refers to how mules would rest while waiting for barges to lock through, and then need to be instructed when to start again. The current implies speeding up when a lock is within sight—not a standard course of action.

Alternate lyrics

I've got a mule, and her name is Sal.
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
She's a good old worker and a good old pal.
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

We hauled some barges in our day.
Filled with lumber, coal and hay.
We know every inch of the way I know.
From Albany to Buffalo

Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge, we're comin' to a town.
And you'll always know your neighbor.
And you'll always know your pal.
If ya ever navigated on the Erie Canal

We'd better look around for a job, old gal.
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
You can bet your life I'll never part with Sal.
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

Get up mule, here comes a lock.
We'll make Rome 'bout six o'clock.
One more trip and back we'll go.
Right back home to Buffalo

Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge, we're comin' to a town.
You'll always know your neighbor.
And you'll always know your pal.
If ya ever navigated on the Erie Canal

Where would I be if I lost my pal?
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
I'd like to see a mule good as my Sal.
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

A friend of mine once got her sore.
Now he's got a broken jaw.
Cause she let fly with an iron toe.
And kicked him back to Buffalo.

Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge, cause we're comin' to a town.
You'll always know your neighbor.
And you'll always know your pal.
If ya ever navigated on the Erie Canal

Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge, we're comin' to a town.
You'll always know your neighbor.
And you'll always know your pal.
If ya ever made a livin' on the Erie Canal

(Low bridge, everybody down)
(Low bridge, we're comin' to a town)

References

  1. ^ a b c "Erie Canal Song - Lyrics, Music, History, and more". 26 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Low bridge! Everybody down!". Library of Congress.
  3. ^ "Low bridge!-everybody down, or, fifteen years on the Erie Canal".
  4. ^ "Home". eriecanalsong.com.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Bridge_(song)

Source: Daveruch.com

Low Bridge, Everybody Down: Origins and History

Originally written sometime between 1905-1912, “Low Bridge! – Everybody Down” (subtitled “Fifteen Years on the Erie Canal”) was composed by Thomas S. Allen (1876-1919) of Natick, Massachusetts.

The song was copyrighted by F.B. Haviland Publishing Company in manuscript form in November of 1912, appearing in sheet music form early the following year (© Jan. 11, 1913; 2 c. Jan. 13, 1913: E 301302).

Thomas S Allen, 15 Miles on the Erie CanalThomas S. Allen was a musical jack-of-all trades, working at various stages of his career (and often simultaneously) as an orchestral violinist, “trick” violinist for burlesque and vaudeville shows, music director for theaters and traveling shows, and composer of songs for the vaudeville stage as well as rags, marches, waltzes, and other items for popular and commercial use.

The year “Low Bridge!” was first registered (1912), it was just one of nine songs copyrighted in Thomas S. Allen’s name.

 

Early Timeline and Changes

1905  The song is often cited as having been composed in this year, although Allen himself says it wasn’t until he saw the canal at Rochester that he wrote it

1911  Thomas S. Allen moves from Boston MA to Rochester NY for a job furnishing orchestras to the leading hotels and theaters – it’s likely that the song is composed around this time (see text from the record slip below)

1912  The song is copyrighted in manuscript form on November 18

1912  Billy Murray makes the first commercial recording of the song (Victor 17250) in Camden NJ on November 18, the same date it’s copyrighted (video below)

1912  The Peerless Quartet(te) records the song for Columbia Records (Columbia A-1296) on December 6; the same recording is released under pseudonyms on several other labels including United (A-1296) by “Quartette”, Aretino (D-750) by “Vocal Quartette,” Standard (A-1296), and Harmony (A-1296) by “The Harmony Male Quartette” (audio below)

1913  The song is copyrighted in sheet music form on Janurary 11 and again on January 13

1913  Edward Meeker records the song on Edison Blue Amberol 1761 (audio below)

1913  Allen, a Massachusetts native, is working at least part-time in Rochester NY, and has been coming (or living) there for at least a few years

map of erie canal in article about the song1924  Henry A. J. Castor of Albany NY writes to song collector and newspaper columnist R.W. Gordon with the first verse and chorus of the song, using “16 years” in place of “15 years” and saying it was “occasionally sung at Canal Meetings in this state and was for a great many years the prime favorite with canal drivers.” Gordon responds by saying “Your enclosure interests me greatly; I have a number of canal songs which have come in from various sailors, but none at all like this.”

1925  R.W. Gordon, still unaware of Allen’s published composition, receives another handwritten copy of the song from a reader (verses 1, 2, and 5 only), and replies “Certain things about it make me fairly certain that it originated on the vaudeville stage rather than on the canal, and that it is not very old.” 

1926  The song appears in print with “15 miles” in place of “15 years” for the first time, in Sigmund Spaeth’s book ‘Read ‘em and Weep.’ Spaeth claimed two sources for the song – journalist and author George Chappell (“Captain Traprock,” Spaeth called him), and Mike Ross, who worked at the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York City

1927  Carl Sandburg published the song in his book ‘The American Songbag’, also from George S. Chappell (whom he called “Dr. Traprock”)

1928  F.B. Haviland sues Doubleday, Page and Company for publishing the song in ‘Read ’em and Weep’ without permission; Doubleday counters that the song has been in circulation long before Haviland’s copyright date (see image below)

1929  Vernon Dalhart records the song electronically (Columbia 15378-D) on January 16, and acoustically (Harmony 831-H, Velvet Tone, Viva labels) under the pseudonym Mack Allen on January 21

1929  Frank Crumit makes an unreleased recording of the song for the Victor label on January 25

1934  John and Alan Lomax publish the song in ‘American Ballads and Folk Songs,’ as collected from Rev. Charles A. Richmond of Washington DC

Did Allen really write the song?

We think so; he’s quoted in the original record slip for Edward Meeker’s 1913 recording as follows:

Erie Canal Song - lyrics, sheet music, history

Thanks to Bill Hullfish for uncovering this reference.

However, a 1928 Music Trade Review article gives some reason to believe that the song may have been in use prior to 1912, and perhaps even before Allen’s 1905 composition date:

Erie Canal Folk Song history

Music Trade Review, June 23, 1928

Did Thomas S. Allen really compose “Low Bridge,” a song that is thematically unlike any others in his stable? Or, did he appropriate some lyrics and a theme that were already in use on the canal, embellish them, and simply claim them as his own as so many others have done through the years?

This is a question I am actively pursuing. There could be some revealing information in Haviland’s or Doubleday’s 1928 files and/or court records. (Can you help track these things down? Please email me at dave “at” daveruch “dot” com if so.)

Is “Low Bridge Everybody Down” a folk song?

One of the hallmarks of “folk” or “traditional” songs is that they don’t rely on commercial distribution to circulate. As such, they can – and do – take on a life of their own, changing as they’re passed from person to person and community to community.

oral tradition folk songs passing from person to personIf we’re using that definition, then “Low Bridge! – Everybody Down” has certainly become a folk song in spite of its origins as a published composition by a professional songwriter. Most people now sing “15 Miles” in place of “15 Years.” Others learned it as “16 Miles,” or “16 Years.” Some sing two verses, some know three. Sometimes (thanks to the Kingston Trio, among others) the melody and verses vary almost completely from the original composition.

I’d call that a folk song.

Source: Eriecanalsong.com

  • Erie Canal Song by Thomas S. Allen

    The Erie Canal Song, as it is commonly known by today, was written in 1905 under the title Low Bridge, Everybody Down about life on the Erie Canal. In addition to the The Erie Canal Song and Low Bridge, Everybody Down titles, the song has also been referred to by the following names over the years: Fifteen Years on the Erie Canal, Mule Named Sal and Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal. Around 1905 mule powered barge traffic had converted to steam power and diesel power was about to take over.  The Erie Canal Song was written to commemorate the history of nearly 100 years of life along the Erie Canal.

    The Erie Canal Song is the most recognised of all the Erie Canal folksongs. A pdf of the song with notes for guitar and piano can be found here. Its interesting to note that the cover depicts a boy riding a mule leaned down to fit under a bridge, but in actuality the song is about the people in the boats. Travelers would typically ride on the roof of boats when the conditions allowed, but the low bridges along the route would require that they either duck down or get off the roof to fit under bridges.

    Lyric Variations

    Like most folk songs, the lyrics (and title!) of The Erie Canal Song has changed over time. The most obvious changes from Thomas Allen’s orignal version has been changing the word years to miles. Allen’s original version commerates 15 years of working along the canal with Sal. The new version using the word miles refers to the average distance a mule would tow a barge before resting or being relieved by another mule.

    Another change is in the second verse. The current line: “Git up there mule, here comes a lock” is a change from the original line: “Get up there gal, we’ve passed that lock”. The current version does not necessary make as much sense as the former. The former refers to how mules would rest while waiting for barges to lock through, and then need to be instructed when to start again. The current implies speeding up when a lock is within site. Without breaks or a simple way to slow a barge, this would not necessarly be the best course of action.

    Audio Versions Available:

    1.) Billy Murray (1912) click here.
    2.) Edward Meeker (1913) click here.
    (right click and ‘save as’ if necessary)

    The Erie Canal Song Lyrics

    I’ve got an old mule and her name is Sal
    Fifteen years on the Erie Canal
    She’s a good old worker and a good old pal
    Fifteen years on the Erie Canal
    We’ve hauled some barges in our day
    Filled with lumber, coal, and hay
    And every inch of the way we know
    From Albany to Buffalo

    Chorus:
    Low bridge, everybody down
    Low bridge for we’re coming to a town
    And you’ll always know your neighbor
    And you’ll always know your pal
    If you’ve ever navigated on the Erie Canal

    We’d better look ’round for a job old gal
    Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
    ‘Cause you bet your life I’d never part with Sal
    Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
    Git up there mule, here comes a lock
    We’ll make Rome ’bout six o’clock
    One more trip and back we’ll go
    Right back home to Buffalo

    Chorus

    Oh, where would I be if I lost my pal?
    Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
    Oh, I’d like to see a mule as good as Sal
    Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
    A friend of mine once got her sore
    Now he’s got a busted jaw,
    ‘Cause she let fly with her iron toe,
    And kicked him in to Buffalo.

    Chorus

    Don’t have to call when I want my Sal
    Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
    She trots from her stall like a good old gal
    Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
    I eat my meals with Sal each day
    I eat beef and she eats hay
    And she ain’t so slow if you want to know
    She put the “Buff” in Buffalo

    Chorus

    Author Information

    Thomas S. Allen (1876-1919) was an early Tin Pan Alley composer with many popular songs not related to the canal life. His first major hit was Any Rags in 1903, only two years before that of the Erie Canal Song.

A great version by Bruce Springsteen!

 

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The Nagging Thing

by | November 19, 2015 | Essays, Journal, Teaching | 0 Comments

Not many more nights like this, warm enough to sit outside on the back porch. The kids and Denise long asleep. Usually, during the school year, this is my "time" to catch up on schoolwork--grading, posting the assignments for the week and playing the general catchup...
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The End Is the Beginning

by | September 2, 2014 | Essays, Journal, Teaching | 0 Comments

For the past twenty years this night has always been a bittersweet moment. I have never been hobbled by boredom or a lack of "things I love to do," so whatever supposed free time I have is rewarding in whatever I choose to do. The flip side is that I am teacher, and I...
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Molting

by | July 10, 2014 | Poetry, Raccoon | 0 Comments

I am always molting; leaving my hollowed skin in awkward places, scaring people and making them jump. They touch me and think I’m real; then laugh and say things like “What a riot.” I’m tired of this changing of skins. I’d rather stumble on myself and be fooled; and...
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What’s in a Song

by | May 4, 2014 | Essays, Journal | 0 Comments

Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet. ~Plato         Writing a song is not just an exercise in seeking some kind of future fame. It is...
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The Small Potato

by | October 17, 2014 | Journal, Teaching | 0 Comments

Maybe there is a God. I just came home and sat down in the kitchen to grade some papers and input some grades, but the internet is buggy and slow, and I thought, "maybe this is the message" that I am trading my soul for work. I even remember myself  pontificating in...
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The Blathering of Teachers

by | March 4, 2014 | Essays, Journal, Teaching | 0 Comments

To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities  as you do at conclusions. ~Benjamin Franklin             Maybe we are born more to ignore than to listen. I understand too well how easy it is to ignore the blatherings of teachers. I was a master of it once myself, so why...
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Once Burned. Twice Shy.

by | April 6, 2014 | Essays, Journal, Teaching | 0 Comments

Just because no one understands you,  it doesn’t mean you are an artist ~Bumper Sticker        I sometimes wonder why when you give a group of teenagers a video camera, the first impulse is to shoot something stupid. It’s as if there is some jackass switch...
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The Shapes of Stories

by | July 9, 2016 | Journal | 0 Comments

While I have always been a storyteller of sorts, I am not much of a writer of stories--but I have always been intrigued by the relative simplicity at the core design level of most books and movies. A lot of it is tied to my love for Joseph Campbell's work on the...
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Trawler

by | August 12, 2014 | Fires in the Belly, Songs | 0 Comments

Leave the fog stillness
of a cold harbor town;
cup our hands
in the warm diesel sound—
leave while the children
are calmed in their dreams
by light buoys calling:
“Don’t play around me.”

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Weekend Custody

by | August 21, 2014 | Out of the Forge, Songs | 0 Comments

Jesse calls up this morning—
“You can come downstairs now;
You see the grapefruit bowl?
Well, I fixed it all;
I fixed everything for you.”

Everything’s for you…

“Let me help you make the coffee,
Momma says you drink it too.
I can’t reach the stove,
But I can pour it, though—
What’s it like living alone?”

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Me & God

by | April 9, 2018 | Essays, Journal | 0 Comments

        I am not done with God, nor God with me. I remain obsessed with the notion of the unmoved mover who set the pattern of creation into its initial motion. I stubbornly try to trace my existence back to some infinite beginning—so much so that I loathe the...
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Out of the Forge: April 6, 2017

by | April 11, 2017 | Journal, Out of the Forge | 0 Comments

Some nights I feel like I am singing in a mall. Tonight--in a fun way--it felt a bit like I walked into the Natick mall at Christmas time and pulled out my guitar in front of the Apple store and started to play, but like every night down at the inn it evolved into a...
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Out of the Forge: April 13, 2017

by | April 23, 2017 | Journal, Out of the Forge, Songs, The American Folk Experience | 0 Comments

In my forty years or so of actively singing and playing folk music and writing songs, I have played together with a remarkably narrow list of musical partners: Rogue, Wally and Barry with camp songs and Hatrack and Seth with literally everything. These last few years...
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Dallas: 7/7/2016

by | July 8, 2016 | Journal | 0 Comments

I woke up this morning almost too fearful to read the news. I stayed up late into the night just watching for the breaking stories and updates. Now, I am simplyconfused about how to act. I feel incredibly small and pointless, unsure of where I stand and how to move...
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China Journal: Part Two

by | July 27, 2015 | Essays, Journal, Teaching | 0 Comments

II The grass grows. The rain falls Nothing is done. Nothing is left undone ~Buddha   A day can be perfect. I have to believe this. Today was. Is. Is was a day in china. The sun breaking through today after yesterday’s typhoon. Lazy walk to the coffee shop....
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Hallows Lake

by | August 2, 2014 | Journal | 0 Comments

Foreward Thanks for taking a look at this "work in progress. It originally started out as an experimental one-man play. Maybe it still will be. Later I thought of making it into a novel, but it's hard to see it happening as there is (intentionally) no real plot, and...
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Grandma’s Words

by | April 24, 2018 | Essays, Journal, Teaching | 0 Comments

In the beginning was the word... ~Genesis       We do not live in Grandma’s world of words, and neither did grandma live in her grandma’s world of words and on and on and so on in a downwards devolution through untold millennia. From primal grunts, whistles and...
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A Monday Ramble

by | August 25, 2014 | Journal | 0 Comments

There is always a hard shift for me at the end of the summer, and today is that day for me. I miss the freedom of last week: I'd wake in the morning, come out to the deck to write poetry or work on my novel--but now today, I feel like I should be preparing for school,...
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The Gift Unclaimed

by | February 27, 2018 | Journal, Poetry | 0 Comments

I have an old lobster buoy Hanging dully from A wrought-iron basket hook— A rough cutaway Filled with suet, Clabbered in wire mesh. . I had imagined chickadees Squabbling with angry jays And occasional sparrows, finches— Maybe even cedar waxwings tired of scrounging...
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The Old Tote Road

by | July 25, 2019 | Essays, Journal | 0 Comments

I clabber down the old tote road towards the red pine forest, leaning on my staff, skirting boulder-strewn ruts and small gullies carved out by two days of heavy rain. It is only a mile or so from our cabin, still, my wife makes me wear a pouch with an iPhone and an...
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When the same thing happens again

by | October 7, 2017 | Crows and Swallows, Journal, Poetry | 0 Comments

I wonder if God is testing me, giving Me some affable warning Or, perhaps, a more Stern rebuke, replaying A foolish mistake, Rehashing and reminding me Of a harsher possibility. It is only a small 10 mm wrench tightening A loose bolt on the throttle body, slipping...
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