Keepin' Country Alive

I sipped water from a hose, put pennies on a track

Caught lightning bugs in a Mason jar

Had a rock for a ball, and a stick for bat

I was Chipper Jones in that backyard

Fast as number three, I turned sixteen

That first pinch of dip turned me Copenhagen green

Go to any map dot, you'll see

There's a whole lot more growin' up like me

Here's to the ones keepin' ol' Merle spinnin'

Midnight, first time cornrow kissin'

New coat of water tower spray-painted names

New crop of crop growers prayin' for rain

From Saturday bonfires to Sunday pews

Fillin' in all them hand-me-down boots

Makin' sure that the roots in them towns don't die

Here's to the boys and the girls keepin' country alive

In a town somewhere, talkin' way out there

There's a boy wakin' up

Mowin' that grass, turnin' green into gas

So he can go pick her up

There's a girl on the porch and he gets to the door

Her daddy strikes the fear of God in that boy

Mama says, "Honey, they're just kids

Growin' up just like we did"

Here's to the ones keepin' ol' Merle spinnin'

Midnight, first time cornrow kissin'

New coat of water tower spray-painted names

New crop of crop growers prayin' for rain

From Saturday bonfires to Sunday pews

Fillin' in all them hand-me-down boots

Makin' sure that the roots in them towns don't die

Here's to the boys and the girls keepin' country alive

Here's to the ones keepin' ol' Merle spinning

Midnight first time cornrow kissin'

New coat of water tower spray-painted names

New crop of crop growers prayin' for rain

From Saturday bonfires to Sunday pews

Fillin' in all them hand-me-down boots

Makin' sure that the roots in them towns don't die

Here's to the boys and the girls keepin' country alive

Yeah, raise 'em up high

To the boys and the girls keepin' country alive