Rodney Crowell – Oh King Richard Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
Cover art for Oh King Richard by Rodney Crowell

Oh King Richard

Jan. 1, 19861 viewer

Oh King Richard Lyrics

Oh King Richard you rum runner's dream
The swiftest of outlaw that I've ever seen
Your checkered flag waving so high in the esteem
And no one can catch you at all
So what can you say 'bout the man built for speed?
The master mechanic gave you what you need
Survival on instinct and heart that don't bleed
The winning tradition of a vanishing breed
When I think about a lesser man much like myself
Alive in a vacuum alone on a shelve
To never go no place 'till all I got left
Is staring at these lonely walls
Oh King Richard just keep up the pace
Your boot in your gas tank the smile on your face
And you'll set the standard that time can't erase
And God only knows how you feel
If there's life in the fast lane
Than you wrote the book
But it don't come as easy as you make it look
'Cause a man in his sunshades can't never slow down
With out someone sneaking round stealing your crown
From a dirt track in Charlotte to the Daytona line
Your life flying by & you don't even mind
The world loves a winner & you've shown them all
How easy the King gets it done
Oh King Richard just look out below
Some punk on your bumper your running to slow
Than one day you're older the next thing you know
Your races are already run
Oh King Richard man they're tryin' get ya
Yeah, but they never can catch you
'Cause you know how to drive like a fiend
Oh King Richard yeah they're trying to catch ya
But they never can catch ya
'cause ya know how to drive like a fiend
Oh King Richard, Oh King Richard
I wanna live my life through your eyes
I'm going spend my life watching you drive
Oh King Richard, Oh King Richard
Oh their never gonna take you their never gonna catch you
Their never gonna
Oh King Richard, Oh King Richard
You gotta have nerve to live this way
Yeah you gotta hang on everyday
Their never gonna stop you
They're never gonna top you
Oh King Richard, Oh King Richard
Burnin' it, rockin' it
Oh King Richard, Oh King Richard

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Genius Annotation

A song dedicated to legendary stock car racer Richard Petty. From 1958 to 1992, Petty won a record 200 races, a record seven Daytona 500s, and seven Cup championships (a feat since equaled by Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson).

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Release Date
January 1, 1986
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