John Deere Green

by Joe Diffy - 1993

♫ John Deere Green is a song written by Dennis Linde, and recorded by American country music artist Joe Diffie. It was released in November 1993 as the third single from his album Honky Tonk Attitude. The song peaked at number 5 on the country charts. The song is a moderate up-tempo describing a boy named Billy Bob, who is in love with a girl named Charlene, both of whom "met in high school in the (19)60s". One night, he hauls a can of "John Deere green" paint to the top of a water tower and paints the words "Billy Bob loves Charlene," as well as an outline of a heart, on the tower.

Lyrics

They were farm kids way down in Dixie Met in high school in the sixties Everyone knew it was love from the start One July, in the midnight hour He climbed upon the water tower Stood on the rail and painted a ten-foot heart In John Deere green On a hot summer night He wrote "Billy Bob loves Charlene" In letters three-foot high

And the whole town said that he should have used red But it looked good to Charlene In John Deere green They settled down on eighty acres Raising sweet corn, kids, and tomatoes They went together like a hand and a glove On a clear day from their front yard If you look and know what to look for Off to the east you can still read his words of love In John Deere green On a hot summer night