Drive-By Truckers - Daddy's Cup

/ southern999x
lyrics
Before I could walk, I had a wrench in my hand
I was my Mama's little angel and my Daddy's second chance
He went end over end the first year he went pro
Lost part of his eyesight and he couldn't race no more
But he never lost his touch when he got underneath the hood
He knew how to make them run and he knew one day he would
See his name in victory lane and engraved on that cup
Just like all them other crazy fools with racing in their blood
He would put me on his lap when he'd drive and I'd take the wheel
He'd say "What do you think about that son? How does she feel?
You just wait till them little legs get long enough to reach the gas
Once you put her on the floor one time there ain't no turning back"
Every Saturday, he'd take me out to the garage
He'd take an empty bucket and fill it full of engine parts
He's sit me down and pour em out in front of me on the floor
I'd have to tell him what each one was and what each one was for
We'd jump into the car and go down to the race that night
He'd tell me what each driver was doing wrong and what each one did right
He could always pick the winner before they ever took a curve
#3 might have the car but 43 has got the nerve
Before I turned 18 Daddy said "Now pretty soon
You'll be old enough to drive but I'll leave it up to you
I taught you all about it, taught you everything I know
You gotta have a car to do it and you gotta work and buy your own"
The first one I bought was a Mustang #2
Nobody kept'em any longer than they kept a pair of shoes
They started showing up at every used car lot in town
A V-8 on a go-cart, easy terms, no money down
Me and Daddy and my uncle took her home and tore her down
Checked her out real good, cleaned her up and bored her out
Took out all the seats, pulled the carpet off the floor
Knocked out all the glass and welded up the doors
The first time that I raced my qualifying was a shame
I started out way in the back and came back about the same
I pulled her in the pit, couldn't look my Daddy in the eye
He said "If you quit now son, it's gonna haunt you all your life"
It ain't about the money or even being #1
You gotta know when it's all over you did the best you could've done
Knowing that it's in you and you never let it out
Is worse than blowing any engine or any wreck you'll ever have
Since then I've wrecked a bunch of cars and I've broke a bunch of bones
It's anybody's race out there and I've learned to race my own
I'd shove em in the wall and I'd hit em from behind
I'd let them know that I was there, I'd let them know that track was mine
It's been several years now since my Daddy passed away
But his picture's on my dash every time I go to race
I lost more than I won but I ain't gonna give up
Till they put me in the ground or Daddy's name's on that cup
Mike Cooley / Drive-By Truckers © Wayward Johnson's Music (BMI)

[@NickP72]

The last lyrics - "If you quit now son, it's gonna haunt you all your life" - still give me shivers and they aren't about racing. They're about anything you want to try for and are scared of failing at. Amazing song.

[@davidrich27]

Yeah, this is one of my favorite songs. I don't even like nascar.

[@Trucktech80]

@@davidrich27 the best

[@leosmitrovich9014]

RIP dad....reminds me of my old man so much,..he and i spent a lot of time at the dirt track. Brings back so many good memories..

[@ChaostheClown]

My dad and I never raced cars but this song still hits hard with the whole father-son lineage shit. There's a few songs he hit me with like this, and I got to hit him back with this one lol I DO do sim racing, but that's irrelevant in the grand scheme. this song n this band kicks ass.

[@LibbyMia-rz8gk]

@@ChaostheClown indeed. My dad and I never really had a lot of good times cause of my mother. But this hits hard as my dad would be telling me to give everything a try. My gran would be to. Rip to both of them. Gran as 89 pop was 50 years old.

[@walterhorn5567]

My dad got me racing at a young age And racing is a huge part of my life. I’m a few decades past my prime and my dad’s long gone but I sure love this song

[@DasUberwurst]

"Knowing that it's in you and you never let it out Is worse than blowing any engine or any wreck you'll ever have" goddang, that's the truth

[@asherlayton8420]

I’m not n from juju juju uand uand was the nutty umm mm my

[@c.w.buttrey4645]

"Once you put it on the floor one time there ain't no turning back"

[@jasonburrell3508]

Fact

[@TheNorthernEarly]

Engines are easy to rebuild. Allot of other life shit ain’t. Broken bones suck but they heal. Allot of other shit in life doesn’t.

[@AtomicLobotomy]

Genius band. Genius guitar. Genius lyrics. Genius bass. Genius vocal. Genius drumming.

[@noelespirtu8165]

Atomic Lobotomy pedal steel too

[@LonewolfWRX]

After a year trying to find out the name of this song finally it played again today at my workplace and my friend had his phone and shazamed it. I can finally listen to it at will. Amazing storytelling song.

[@jugglajoe4863]

Brother listen to creepy Pete by angry jonny and the killbilly it's minty like this song

[@whathappensinmaine5463]

Bro we olay this in the shop and I went fuckin ballistic trying to find it. I finally did

[@louisloman4986]

bringing up my boy up this way the way I was brought up soaked in oil, grease and loving every minute of it ...love u son

[@nathansharp9957]

Louis Loman respect

[@codythompson2765]

I'm a circle track driver haven't got a cup yet but I will and it will go straight to my dads garage where me and the old man built my first car

[@nancyyarbrough1445]

Great song for father-son relationships; back in the day, every town, somewhere had a speedway and we went every Friday night. All the owners worked on their own cars, so the talent was in the driving and the building. Then we did our own drag races out at a deserted road, 1970's GTO, SS Chevelle, etc.

[@billcahill4181]

This covers every daddy son relationship.

[@iaincox9639]

Every good one at least

[@Josh-km9mf]

Damn right!

[@RT060789]

There is a lesson on how to be a parent in this song. Just awesome!

[@joshuadowling8778]

Hahaha. Really? Which lyric? Just curious. What parental guidance did you aquire from this story? The making of a man by making him work tto own his own racecar? Yup.

[@RT060789]

@@joshuadowling8778 I take it that was a facetious comment. This was 6 years ago btw. You are little late to the party.

[@joshuadowling8778]

Haha. Nope just a drunken comment. Yes, I'm certainly late to the party. Thanks for responding.

[@RT060789]

@@joshuadowling8778 It is all good. Peace.

[@joshuadowling8778]

I have a pretty pink B. C. RICH for sale. Nice and pointy.

[@randyreynolds6508]

my chest hair grows outta controll after I listen to this

[@jaxserna4305]

Fuck chest hairs my balls turned to steel after this

[@hon702aa]

Randy I see the bike 🤟 look up Colt Chapmen “ride for the win” it’s about bikes. Bad ass tune

[@richardharrison5108]

Eldest son isn’t interested in cars but I’ll tell you my youngest daughter knows every part to motorcycle and car engines... raised her well (And knows all the lyrics to the boys from Alabama mind you she is 12)

[@joshingtonbarthsworth631]

Well good lord. Don't let her hear "the boys from Oklahoma"!

[@sethdaniel4034]

She a lesbian yet? 🤣

[@imasloot]

This is the song that sunk in the DBT hooks for me... I had to listen to more, and believe me, I did... still a huge fan of everything they do...

[@jaygoggin238]

can't put it better than that. I agree nuthin to add.

[@hacksawjimthuggin7411]

After listening to this album first. It's hard to get into much of their other stuff for me. Any recommendations on good songs or albums?

[@johnrandall125]

@@hacksawjimthuggin7411 Try A Blessing And A Curse or The Big To Do. Alternatively the old favourite Southern Rock Opera.

[@hacksawjimthuggin7411]

@@johnrandall125 sweet thanks man!

[@JediFishKC]

My daughter and I are building our first car together. No replacement for displacement. Don't forget to turn the fuel pump on. Cheers! Thank you, DBT!

[@JediFishKC]

Not just father son. Father daughter too. Her name will look good in cursive on the roof of her AMC. 😉

[@briangoldy8784]

I'm a Biker, My Father in Law. Rode Bikes (BSA, Triumph) in WWII.as a Scout. This Song really hits home..

[@jdiding88]

this song pretty much is how me and my dad where but drag racing instead of circle track RIP dad LOVE YOU !

[@j.dustinwelch8592]

Tyler childress

[@richardslaugenhaupt3092]

This parent done right

[@emievel]

Did this guy (song writer) race? He sure hit the nail on the head with this song...in so many ways.

[@lupusalbus3795]

I think it's about dale Earnhardt

[@Spearfisher1970]

Wow - Damn - I've never lived in a part of the country where I heard real music like this. Good stuff.

[@lasse6406]

I was riding at the sand dunes last year and this guy was playing this song around the campfire, took me so long to find this song.

[@jamesj9744]

cool story bro

[@crystalbelle2349]

Reminds me of old friends at Caraway Speedway in NC from the nineties. I miss them guys, as I was their auto parts girl with the right clutch for my buddies. A lifetime ago. No names! ;)

[@LSSteve]

Best DBT album!

[@theamericanwolf4731]

LS Steve. HANDS DOWN THE BEST.

[@dankohollando7007]

Hell yes

[@wildmercuryfilms]

Decoration Day & Southern Rock Opera: Listen to Sink Hole and Zip City and Guitar Man Upstairs and Birmingham and When the pin hits the shell and Heathens.

[@adamshartley]

Great song! 👍I ain't going to give up till they put me in the ground or daddy's name is on that cup. Solid ✊

[@brandonvos4361]

Me and my pa we're never close but he taught me my work ethic and how to bust my ass so this song got to me...I know it wasn't racing but that's busting your ass props to the boys that this songs about

[@briansaul6509]

Seen a few times front row. Great. Damaged my hearing for two days. Cooley gave me his pick. Made up for it all.

[@kevinlitchford5179]

Grabs the ol heart strings

[@davidawestbrook]

Tough to write a song about fatherhood, and its blood deep meanings, that you don't outlive. Spooky. Brilliant.

[@brandonvos4361]

You know....I'm not a big fan of the Earnhearts but I'm pretty sure if JR Hurd this song it would drop a tear

[@andreww1613]

Love ya dad. What this great song means to me

[@Patchman4062]

My favorite racing song...

[@cootersrapidrooter1616]

Besides it made me think of my dad who was a new car salesmanager for over 20 years and also liked to watch the races before he passed away from cancer back in 2000

[@ttmilbr]

Don't even like racing, but a great father/son song.

[@jaxserna4305]

HOW DARE YOU

[@adamturner2507]

Gives me goose bumpd

[@willman940]

“3 has got the car but 43 has got the nerve.” I don’t know man Richard Petty never got the name old ironhead or the intimidator.

[@loveda88]

Yeah see this line always kinda bothered me, cause Petty was running Hemi's which eventually got Mopar kicked out of NASCAR because nothing else could keep up, but Dale is the only guy ever to bump the pace car...

[@kevindedmon7257]

This line is completely backwards for sure, Petty, then later Elliott, Waltrip, Bodine, Gordon, etc all had the cars but Earnhardt had the nerve. Other than that this song absolutely rips.

[@AlonsoWDC]

Yeah this line is backwards but it's also clear this race isn't NASCAR, but some local dirt track where maybe an Earnhardt-like driver drove 43 and a Petty-like driver drove 3.

[@wildmercuryfilms]

@@AlonsoWDC You nailed it

[@blazemarkfishinginsccoggin250]

I mite be young but I race cars at tr speedway and tbh this song was meant for me and my dad bc it tells all the things I have done with him

[@leotherocker94]

This song reminds my grandpa (the father figure in my life), the one that taught me everything, rest in peace my hero! Isauro Jonas Stadler (1929 - 2011)

[@joeestes8114]

Awesome song!

[@justinminney1542]

How does anyone dislike this, much less 63 people!

[@b86yount]

Their dad went out for milk and never came back.

[@szellner9362]

Should be the NASCAR theme song. Awesome

[@PeteyJZ]

To be honest, modern nascar doesn’t represent the meaning of this song. Most those dudes have never held a wrench lol

[@brandonsimmons1348]

Whats local short track racing is all about !

[@jacobgodinez4926]

U dnt no wat u got till you take it 2 the limit!🤙

[@lukeburns920]

Story telling at its best

[@cootersrapidrooter1616]

Whoever came up with the idea for the video detail my gaw like I ain't playing with y'all it's a cool because I'm colorblind partially but I can see some color and noticed the face on the moon and how the motion was kinda cracklely and at first I the beginning looks like it was raining really cool y'all that's awesome 👍😎

[@davidking7328]

Never knew it rained and the grainy moon. Listened to it a lot but I guess i never watched

[@tompatchak8706]

Oh yeah. Kinda like an ild time movie. Ps. This picture is the album cover for The Dirty South

[@unstablegoldContentCreation]

Good old #3 had the car and the nerves

[@mattbehan4924]

best story ever!

[@boognish1975]

brilliance. nuff said.

[@noelespirtu8165]

boognish1975 neff said

[@supergroovepimp]

Makes me wanna change my name to Ricky Bobby or Steve Mcqueen perhaps. ;- D

[@edwhite7475]

lol-

[@seanknight5244]

perfect song.

[@DouglasDalton-vm3qm]

Thats a lot of words to remember!!lol

[@joshingtonbarthsworth631]

As the son of an open wheel racer, all I can say is "Fucking A"

[@monstergoat1]

this is me and my dads song

[@zrock8348]

monstergoat1 same haha

[@iheartthesmalls]

Billy D & the Hoodoos..... lovely as well

[@daveclifton8366]

Hell yeah

[@levi7753]

Judging by the lyrics he's one heck of a dirty racer, great song though

[@MegaDizz23]

I mean, the album is called "The Dirty South"

[@isaacs557]

AUS LOVE

[@dankohollando7007]

Do not drive with this on it won't end well , trust me

[@KimiWallrus]

He doesn’t speak on Toter Homes and Longhorn chassis by Bobby Labonte or 50 grand motors or 30 grand cars used lol. Kidding it’s a great song about real racing, hobby stocks

[@SYLVIAtunerrb25dett]

my new name is Psycho Ricky ,last name? Cadillac of course,

[@gabrielj9776]

👑

[@Elizabeth7893]

LOVE IT

[@stinkycheeseman1723]

Thankful for my wayward, feral, drug dealing, race car driving, father. You weren't always there, but you were always there.

[@berniebartnick7080]

Bad ass!!

[@jeffrowson8974]

What racer was that about

[@johnnyrocker7495]

Would've loved to have heard Elvis sing this.

[@haydenclark4628]

John Stewart this wouldn’t be Elvis type of thing know I can see Waylon Jennings or Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson singing this

[@johnnyrocker7495]

@@haydenclark4628 It's very certainly an Elvis type of thing. Guitar Man meets Speedway.

[@jacobgodinez4926]

This is how I live my life. And everyone hates me for it.

[@katieriegel6703]

Love

[@fallen_egg3904]

My dad built me a race car and after every race he plays this song

[@betsyfuller6435]

where has this been?

[@calinotcallie5553]

me: trying to find my dad’s comment because he loves dbt tbh this is a really good song-

[@carriesherman8913]

Know yourself dog know yourself

[@Saiyan_Goku]

Wow

[@gregorykirkmoore]

let's do it live?

[@robertgavin3602]

Not this literally being me and my dad's relationship-

[@ericallencurtis123]

fuck yeah!

[@bigbadbravo8591]

me realizing the people I am passing can’t hear my music🥺

[@mew1216]

Love these guys, but was bummed to hear that they caved to woke culture and dropped the "Drive By" in their name. All this bullshit about everyone being offended by everything has GOT TO STOP!

[@Shimlarian]

Wait really

[@PhilippoDan]

No, they didn't.

[@newperve]

Great song, terrible parenting.

[@chrismucci4788]

I disagree. A boy has to learn, give it everything you got or you’ll just have regrets. Great parenting.

[@Shimlarian]

@Michael Price cosmopolitan moment

[@ToryHornsby]

Awesome song!