This is a classic song. I has everything. Humour, irony, wit and actually still sound pretty contemporary 30 years on! It's a shame that the grinding quo-like chords that originally accompanied it didn't match the quality of the lyric. The idea came to me when I was walking the dog. I had this strange other-worldly vision of cars bouncing over the brow of the hill head of me with hard wheels on a floppy elastic cartoon-like road. The rest followed easily.
For the curious... Listen to the original recording of 'Tarmac Wheels on Rubber Roads' the 1983 cassette album by Mervyn Sprocket and the Crankshaft Assembly (later to become Salt Solution) (NB this has been transferred from a cassette and the poor sound quality is only matched by the poor musicianship!)
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'Tarmac Wheels on Rubber Roads' by Martin Day I met a man upon the street, With flashy suit and shuffling feet. He said he knew a planning secret, He'd let me know if I could keep it... The government was in some trouble, Tarmac costs had nearly doubled. They had decided to change the roads. Tests showed that rubber could take the loads. Tarmac wheels on rubber roads, he was a master of deceit. Tarmac wheels on rubber roads, and he gave me no receipt. Tarmac wheels on rubber roads, he was a master of deceit. Tarmac wheels on rubber roads, and he gave me no receipt. He could see I'm not the average rat, With tarmac wheels I'd get no flat. And then to me, his goods he showed. I'd need tarmac wheels on rubber roads. I'd get no cheaper anywhere, But I had to buy them then and there. I asked him if they'd need inflating, He went to check and left me waiting... ... I never saw him again. © M Day 1978
I met a man upon the street, With flashy suit and shuffling feet. He said he knew a planning secret, He'd let me know if I could keep it... The government was in some trouble, Tarmac costs had nearly doubled. They had decided to change the roads. Tests showed that rubber could take the loads. Tarmac wheels on rubber roads, he was a master of deceit. Tarmac wheels on rubber roads, and he gave me no receipt. Tarmac wheels on rubber roads, he was a master of deceit. Tarmac wheels on rubber roads, and he gave me no receipt. He could see I'm not the average rat, With tarmac wheels I'd get no flat. And then to me, his goods he showed. I'd need tarmac wheels on rubber roads. I'd get no cheaper anywhere, But I had to buy them then and there. I asked him if they'd need inflating, He went to check and left me waiting... ... I never saw him again.
I met a man upon the street, With flashy suit and shuffling feet. He said he knew a planning secret, He'd let me know if I could keep it... The government was in some trouble, Tarmac costs had nearly doubled. They had decided to change the roads. Tests showed that rubber could take the loads.
Tarmac wheels on rubber roads, he was a master of deceit. Tarmac wheels on rubber roads, and he gave me no receipt. Tarmac wheels on rubber roads, he was a master of deceit. Tarmac wheels on rubber roads, and he gave me no receipt.
He could see I'm not the average rat, With tarmac wheels I'd get no flat. And then to me, his goods he showed. I'd need tarmac wheels on rubber roads. I'd get no cheaper anywhere, But I had to buy them then and there. I asked him if they'd need inflating, He went to check and left me waiting...
... I never saw him again.
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