Kyle Petty covered Rodney Crowell’s 1986 song Oh King Richard honoring Kyle’s father, NASCAR champion Richard, for the 1995 compilation album NASCAR Runnin' Wide Open.
[Verse 1]
Oh King Richard, you rum runner's dream
The swiftest of outlaw that I've ever seen
Your checkered flag waving so high in esteem
And no one can catch you at all
So what can you say about the man built for speed?
The master mechanic gave you what you need
Survival on instinct and heart that don't bleed
The winning tradition of a vanishing breed
When I think about a man much like myself
Alive in a vacuum alone on a shelf
To never go no place 'till all I got left
Is staring at these lonely walls
[Chorus]
Oh King Richard, just keep up the pace
Your boot in your gas tank your smile on your face
And you'll set the standard time can't erase
And God only knows how you feel
[Verse 2]
If there's life in the fast lane then you wrote the book
But it don't come as easy as you make it look
'Cause a man in his sunshades can't never slow down
With out somebody sneaking round stealing your crown
From a dirt track in Charlotte to the Daytona line
Your life flying by, you don't even mind
The world loves a winner and you've shown them all
How easy the King gets it done
[Chorus]
Oh King Richard just look out below
Some punk on your bumper you're running too slow
Than one day you're old the next thing you know
Your races are already run
Oh King Richard man they're tryin' get ya
Yeah, but they never can get ya
'Cause you know how to drive
Oh King Richard man they're trying to catch ya
Yeah, but they never can get ya
'Cause you know how to drive like a fiend
Oh King Richard man they're tryin' get you
Yeah, but they never can get you
You know how to drive
Oh King Richard man they're trying to catch ya (oh they're trying to catch ya)
Yeah, but they never can get ya (never can, never can)
You know how to drive
Oh King Richard man they're trying to catch ya (Oh King Richard)
Oh King Richard was written by Rodney Crowell.
Oh King Richard was produced by Doug Johnson & Blake Chancey.
Kyle Petty released Oh King Richard on Tue Apr 04 1995.