Riding With Private Malone

I was just out of the service

Thumbin' through the classifieds

When an ad that said, "old Chevy"

Somehow caught my eye

The lady didn't know the year

Or even if it ran

But I had that thousand dollars

In my hand

It was way back in the corner

Of this old ramshackle barn

With thirty years of dust and dirt

On that green Army tarp

And when I pulled the cover off

It took away my breath

What she called a Chevy

Was a sixty-six Corvette

And I felt a little guilty

As I counted out the bills

What a thrill I got

When I sat behind the wheel

I opened up the glove box

And that's when I found the note

The date was nineteen sixty-six

And this is what he wrote

He said, "My name is

Private Andrew Malone

And if you're readin' this

Then I didn't make it home

But for every dream that's shattered

Another one comes true

This car was once a dream of mine

Now it belongs to you

And though you may take her

And make her your own

You'll always be riding

With Private Malone"

Well, it didn't take me long at all

I had her runnin' good

I loved to hear those horses thunder

Underneath her hood

I had her shinin' like a diamond

And I'd put the ragtop down

All the pretty girls would stop and stare

As I drove her through town

The buttons on the radio

Didn't seem to work quite right

But it picked up that oldie show

Especially late at night

I'd get the feelin' sometimes

If I turned real quick, I'd see

A soldier ridin' shotgun

In the seat right next to me

It was a young man named

Private Andrew Malone

Who fought for his country

And never made it home

But for every dream that's shattered

Another one comes true

This car was once a dream of his

Back when it was new

But he told me to take her

And make her my own

And I was proud to be riding

With Private Malone

Well, one night it was raining hard

I took the curve too fast

I still don't remember much

About that fiery crash

But someone said they thought they saw

A soldier pull me out

They didn't get his name

But I know without a doubt

It was a young man named

Private Andrew Malone

Who fought for his country

And never made it home

But for every dream that's shattered

Another one comes true

This car was once a dream of his

Back when it was new

And I know I wouldn't be here

If he hadn't tagged along

Yeah, that night, I was riding

With Private Malone

Oh, thank God, I was riding

With Private Malone

Private Malone