Expert: Dr. J. M. Allen - 3/1/2008

Question
My friends and I cant figure out this one song. Its about someone who buys a corvette and then while looking through the glove box he finds some sort of letter about the person who previously owned the car, or letters from a war or something.

Answer
The song is "Riding with Private Malone"  by David Ball


E
I was just out of the service thumbin' through the classifieds
       A9
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
    A9
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
   A9                           B                E
The date was Nineteen Sixty-Six and this is what he wrote

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