IT'S PAINTED RED, THE STRIPE WAS WHITE
IT WAS EIGHTEEN 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
PUT ON A SHINE, PUT ON A MOTOR
BUILT OUT OF LOVE, MADE FOR THE WATER
RAN HER FOR YEARS, 'TIL THE TRANSOM GOT ROTTEN
A PIECE OF MY CHILDHOOD, WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN
IT WAS, JUST AN OLD PLYWOOD BOAT
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
AND I WOULD MAKE IT WHINE
HE'D SAY, YOU CAN'T BEAT THE WAY AN OLD WOOD BOAT RIDES
JUST A LITTLE LAKE ACROSS THE ALABAMA LINE
BUT I WAS KING OF THE OCEAN
WHEN DADDY LET ME
DRIVE
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
IT WAS JUST AN OLD WORN OUT JEEP
RUSTY OLD FLOOR BOARDS
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
FIRST STEPS, FIRST WORDS
SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY YOU WERE JUST A GIRL
SKINNED KNEES, CLIMBING TREES
ALL THOSE MEMORIES SO CLOSE TO ME
NOW YOU'RE A WOMAN ON YOUR OWN
ALL IN LOVE AND NEARLY GONE
BUT YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY BABY
NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE
YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY BABY
FOREVER IN MY HEART
SO I SAY A PRAYER EVERYDAY
THAT GOD WILL GUIDE YOU AS YOU FIND YOUR WAY
YOU KNOW THAT I'M NEAR
ANYTIME MY LOVE IS ALWAYS HERE
'CAUSE YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY BABY
NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE
YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY BABY
FOREVER IN MY HEART
[APPLAUSE]