Riding With Private Malone
By David Ball
Tabbed By Larry Mofle
rmofle at satx.rr.com
1/29/2005



      E
I was just out of the service thumbin' through the classifieds
        Asus2
When an ad that said "Old Chevy" somehow caught my eye
E
The lady didn't know the year or even if it ran
      A                 B             E
But I had that thousand dollars in my hand

E
It was way back in the corner of this old ramshackle barn
     Asus2
With thirty years of dust and dirt on that green army tarp
    B                               A
And when I pulled the cover off, it took away my breath
A                             B            E
What she called a Chevy was a Sixty-Six Corvette
      C#m                       B
And I felt a little guilty as I counted out the bills
E                          A              B
What a thrill I got when I sat behind the wheel
E
I opened up the glove box and that's when I found the note
    Asus2                           B                E
The date was Nineteen Sixty-Six and this is what he wrote


Chorus 1:
           C#m     B       A        B
He said my name is Private Andrew Malone
       C#m            B           A              B
And if you’re reading this then I didn't make it home
        G#m                C#m         A                B
But for every dream that's shattered, another one comes true
     A                                 B
This car was once a dream of mine, now it belongs to you
    E              B            A             B
And though you may take her and make her your own
       A           B                 E
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 rag top 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 oldies show especially late at night
I'd get the feelin' sometimes if I turned real quick I'd see
A soldier riding shotgun in the seat right next to me


Chorus 2:
It was a young man named Private Andrew Malone
Who fought for his country and never made it home
But for every dream that shatters, another one comes true
This car was once a dream of his back when it was new
And he told me to take her and make her my own
And I was proud to be riding with Private Malone


Bridge:
C#m                              B
One night it was raining hard, I took a curb to fast
    E                            A               B
And I still don't remember much about that fiery crash
E
Someone said they thought they saw a soldier pull me out
     A                         B              E
They didn't get his name but I know without a doubt


Chorus 3:
It was a young man named Private Andrew Malone
Who fought for his country and never made it home
But for every dream that shatters, 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