G                   D 
 It was painted red, the stripe was white 
        C 
It was eighteen feet from the bow to the stern light 
G                    D 
 Second hand from a dealer in Atlanta 
   C 
I rode up with daddy when he went there to get 'er 
G              D 
 Put on a shine put on a motor 
  C 
Built out of love and made for the water 
G                              D 
 Ran her for years 'till the transom got rotten 
   C                             C  N.C. 
A piece of my childhood that'll never be forgotten

      G              D 
It was just an old plywood boat 
        C 
With a seventy-five Johnson with electric choke 
G                 D 
 A young boy two hands on the wheel 
C 
 I can't replace the way it made me feel 
           G                        D 
And I would turn her sharp and I'd make it wide 
        C 
And he'd say you can't beat the way an old wood boat rides 
Em                             A 
 Just a little lake 'cross the Alabama line 
           C               D                 G     D    C    D 
But I was king of the ocean when daddy let me drive

G                       D 
 Just an old half-ton short bed Ford 
   C 
My uncle bought new in sixty-four 
 G                            D 
Daddy got it right 'cause the engine was smokin' 
C 
 A couple of burnt valves and he had it goin' 
G                                D 
 He'd let me drive her and we'd haul off a load 
        C 
Down a dirt strip where we'd dump trash off of Thigpen road 
     G                                D 
I'd sit up in the seat and stretch my feet out to the pedals 
  C 
Smilin' like a hero that just received his medal

      G             D 
It was just an old hand-me-down Ford 
          C 
With a three speed on the column and a dent in the door 
G                 D 
 A young boy two hands on the wheel 
C 
 I can't replace the way it made me feel 
       G                         D 
I would press that clutch and I'd keep it right 
            C 
And he'd say a little slower son you're doin' just fine 
Em                       A                           C 
 Just a dirt road with trash on each side but I was Mario Andretti 
D                  G 
  When daddy let me drive

G                         D 
 I'm grown up now three daughters of my own 
    C 
 I let 'em drive my old jeep 'cross the pasture at our home 
G                        D 
 Maybe one day they'll reach back in their file 
      C  N.C.                       C   N.C. 
 And pull out that old mem'ry and think of me and smile

       G                    D 
And say it was just an old worn out jeep 
 C 
Rusty old floor boards hot on my feet 
G                  D 
 A young girl two hands on the wheel 
C 
 I can't replace the way it made me feel 
             G                   D 
 And he'd say turn it left and steer it right 
    C 
 Straighten up girl now you're doin' just fine 
Em                            A 
 Just a little valley by the river where we'd ride 
            C                D                 G 
 But I was high on a mountain when daddy let me drive 
D                  C   D             G     D    C     D 
    daddy let me drive   oh he let me drive  
G                    D 
 She’s just an old plywood boat 
        C                                        G 
With a seventy-five Johnson with electric choke