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It was painted red, the stripe was white
It was 18 feet from the bow to stern line
Second hand from a dealer in Atlanta
I rode up with daddy when he went there to get her
Put on a shine, put on a motor
Built out of love, made for the water
We had her years 'til the transom got rotten
A piece of my childhood that'll never be forgotten

It was just an old plywood boat
With a 75 Johnson with 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
I'd make it whine
He'd say 'You can't beat the way an old boat rides'
Just a little lake cross the Alabama line
But I was king of the ocean when daddy let me
Drive...

Just an old half ton short bed Ford
My uncle bought it new in '64
Daddy got it right 'cause the engine was smokin'
A couple of burnt valves and he had it goin'
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
Smilin' like a hero that just received his medal

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
And 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...

I'm grown up now, three daughters of my own
I let 'em drive my old Jeep
Cross 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

It's just an old worn out Jeep
Rusty old floor board, 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, now steer it right
Straighten up girl, now you're doin' 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...

She's just an old plywood boat
With a 75 Johnson with electric choke