The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Well, I caught my wife with another man
And it cost me ninety-nine
On a prison farm in Georgia
Close to the Florida line
Well, I've been here for two long years
I finally made the warden my friend
And so he sentenced me to a life of ease
Takin' care of Ol' Red
Now, Ol' Red, he's the damnedest dog
That I've ever seen
Got a nose that can smell a two day trail
He's a four legged trackin' machine
You can consider yourself mighty lucky
To get past the gators and the quicksand beds
But all these years that I've been here
Ain't nobody got past Red
And the warden sang
Come on somebody, why don't you run?
Ol' Red's itchin' to have a little fun
Get my lantern, get my gun
Red'll have you treed 'fore the mornin' comes
Well, I paid off the guard and I slipped out a letter
To my cousin up in Tennessee
Oh, and he brought down a blue tick hound
She was pretty as she could be
Well, they penned her up in the swampland
'Bout a mile just south of the gate
And I'd take Ol' Red for his evening run
I'd just drop him off and wait
And the warden sang
Come on somebody, why don't you run?
Ol' Red's itchin' to have a little fun
Get my lantern, get my gun
Red'll have you treed 'fore the mornin' comes
Now, Ol' Red got real used to seein'
His lady every night
And so I kept him away for three or four days
And waited 'til the time got right
Well, I made my run with the evening sun
And I smiled when I heard 'em turn Red out
'Cause I was headed north to Tennessee
And Ol' Red was headed south
And the warden sang
Come on somebody, why don't you run?
Ol' Red's itchin' to have a little fun
Get my lantern, get my gun
Red'll have you treed 'fore the mornin' comes
Now there's red haired blue ticks all in the South
Love got me in here and love got me out
And it cost me ninety-nine
On a prison farm in Georgia
Close to the Florida line
Well, I've been here for two long years
I finally made the warden my friend
And so he sentenced me to a life of ease
Takin' care of Ol' Red
Now, Ol' Red, he's the damnedest dog
That I've ever seen
Got a nose that can smell a two day trail
He's a four legged trackin' machine
You can consider yourself mighty lucky
To get past the gators and the quicksand beds
But all these years that I've been here
Ain't nobody got past Red
And the warden sang
Come on somebody, why don't you run?
Ol' Red's itchin' to have a little fun
Get my lantern, get my gun
Red'll have you treed 'fore the mornin' comes
Well, I paid off the guard and I slipped out a letter
To my cousin up in Tennessee
Oh, and he brought down a blue tick hound
She was pretty as she could be
Well, they penned her up in the swampland
'Bout a mile just south of the gate
And I'd take Ol' Red for his evening run
I'd just drop him off and wait
And the warden sang
Come on somebody, why don't you run?
Ol' Red's itchin' to have a little fun
Get my lantern, get my gun
Red'll have you treed 'fore the mornin' comes
Now, Ol' Red got real used to seein'
His lady every night
And so I kept him away for three or four days
And waited 'til the time got right
Well, I made my run with the evening sun
And I smiled when I heard 'em turn Red out
'Cause I was headed north to Tennessee
And Ol' Red was headed south
And the warden sang
Come on somebody, why don't you run?
Ol' Red's itchin' to have a little fun
Get my lantern, get my gun
Red'll have you treed 'fore the mornin' comes
Now there's red haired blue ticks all in the South
Love got me in here and love got me out
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Awesome song - nice beat too
i love this song...i liked it even before i was into country music. its got an awesome beat and blake is hot
also a brilliant way to get out of an old southern prison like the one in cool hand luke
is he really talking about a dog? or is there a metaphor that im not getting? "Now Ol' Red got real used to seeing His lady every night" ...?
yes he is ol red is a boy and he fell in love with the other dog<br />
He caught his wife cheating on him, so he killed the guy she was having an affair with. He got thrown in jail for 99 years. He got a grand plan to escape, but first he needed to become the guardian of the prisons' tracking dog, a Bloodhound named Ol' Red. He finally did 2 years later. Then he asked his cousin to bring down a female Blue Tick Hound. They penned her up, and when the guy took Red for a run every night, he brought him to the Tick hound. The two dogs fell in love, and so Red "got used to seeing his lady every night." So he kept Red away from the Tick Hound for a few days, then made his run. When the prison guards sent Ol' Red out to find the runaway, he went to see his girl instead because he hadn't seen her in a few days. Thus the guy got away, when no one else had ever gotten past Red. In the end where is says 'Now there's red-haired blue ticks all in the south, love got me in here, and love got me out' he means that Red and the Tick hound had puppies, and since his love for his wife got him thrown in jail, and the dogs' love got him out- so yeah. <br /> There you have it.
I always think of Shawkshank Redemption during this song.
I never really liked country until someone very special entered my life. when i started listening to it this became one of my favorite songs. now that he's gone, all i've got left is the music
"Well I caught my wife with another man And it cost me ninety nine" he's saying he got the man that was with his wife and now for that he's in prison for 99 years. (murdered him). "a blue tick hound, She was pretty as she could be, Well they penned her up in the swampland, 'Bout a mile just south of the gate, And I'd take Ol' Red for his evening run, I'd just drop him off and wait" he took the dog to see the other dog and just let Red do his thing. Now Ol' Red got real used to seeing His lady every night, And so I kept him away for three or four days,And waited till the time got right" Rdd was used to seeing the other dog so he kept him away for a few days so that when he was out for his run, he would go to the female instead of follow blake. "Love got me in here and love got me out" Love got him in there because he killed the man that was with is wife... love got him out because Red fell in love with the blue tick.