Drive (For Daddy Gene)

[Verse 1]
It was painted red, the stripe was white
It was 18 feet from the bow to stern light
Secondhand from a dealer in Atlanta
I rode up with Daddy when he went there to get her
We put on a shine, put on a motor
Built out of love, and made for the water
Ran her for years, 'til the transom got rotten
A piece of my childhood will never be forgotten

[Chorus]
It was just an old plywood boat
With a '75 Johnson and electric choke
A young boy, two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel
And I would turn her sharp
And I would make it whine
He'd say, "You can't beat the way an old wood boat rides"
Just a little lake 'cross the Alabama line
But I was king of the ocean
When Daddy let me drive

[Verse 2]
Just an old half ton short bed Ford
My Uncle bought new in '64
Daddy got it right 'cause the engine was smoking
A couple of burnt valves and he had it going
He'd let me drive her when we'd haul off a load
Down a dirt strip where we'd dump trash off of Thigpen Road
I'd sit up in the seat and stretch my feet out to the pedals
Smiling like a hero that just received his medal

[Chorus]
It was just an old hand me down Ford
With three speed on the column and a dent in the door
A young boy, two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel and
I would press that clutch
And I'd keep it right
He'd say "A little slower son, you're doing just fine"
Just a dirt road with trash on each side
But I was Mario Andretti
When Daddy let me drive

[Bridge]
I'm grown up now, three daughters of my own
I let them drive my old Jeep
Across the pasture at our home
Maybe one day they'll reach back in their file
And pull out that old memory
And think of me and smile and say

[Chorus]
It was just an old worn out Jeep
With rusty old floorboards, hot on my feet
A young girl, two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel
And he'd say "Turn it left" and "Steer it right"
Straighten up girl now, you're doing just fine
Just a little valley by the river where we'd ride
But I was high on a mountain
When Daddy let me drive
When Daddy let me drive
Oh he let me drive

[Outro]
It was just an old plywood boat
With a '75 Johnson and electric choke