The Boss on the John Deere

The Boss on the John Deere

[Verse 1]

July sun in a Georgia sky,
I came down just to visit awhile.
Wasn’t looking for a job that day,
Just some sweet tea and a little shade.

Then I saw that big green tractor there,
Round bale waiting in the field somewhere.
My brother said, “You think you can?”
I was halfway up before he finished the plan.

[Pre-Chorus]

Turn the key, hear that diesel hum,
Funny how fast the confidence comes.
Hands on the wheel, foot on the floor—
Five minutes in, I owned the store.

[Chorus]

I was the boss on the John Deere,
Queen of the pasture, engineer.
Picked up that bale like I knew what to do,
Cows lined up like a hungry crew.

I sat up straight, I shifted gear,
Lord, I looked good on that John Deere.
Wasn’t my land, wasn’t my steer—
But nobody told me
I wasn’t the boss on the John Deere.

[Verse 2]

Slid those forks underneath that hay,
Raised it up and rolled away.
Here came the cattle, twelve abreast,
Apparently I had passed the test.

I dropped that bale right where it went,
Backed her up like I paid the rent.
Climbed down wearing a farmer’s grin—
Already wondering when my next shift begins.

[Chorus]

I was the boss on the John Deere,
Queen of the pasture, engineer.
Picked up that bale like I knew what to do,
Cows lined up like a hungry crew.

I sat up straight, I shifted gear,
Lord, I looked good on that John Deere.
Wasn’t my land, wasn’t my steer—
But nobody told me
I wasn’t the boss on the John Deere.

[Bridge]

I’ve seen big cities, crossed some seas,
Done a lot more glamorous things than these.
But somewhere between that barn and gate,
I learned something simple—and maybe great:

You don’t need Paris, Rome or a chandelier,
Sometimes happiness has four big tires and a gear.

And I thought those cattle followed me…

Till my brother said,
“They’d follow anybody carrying hay.”

[Break]

Well.

That was humbling.

[Final Chorus]

Still, I was the boss on the John Deere,
At least for twenty minutes that year.
Moved one bale and fed some cows,
And somehow I’m a rancher now.

I sat up straight, I shifted gear,
Had my little kingdom from way up there.
Wasn’t my farm, wasn’t my career—

But give me the keys,
Stand back and see,
And make one thing perfectly clear:

Tomorrow morning
I’ll be right back here—

The boss
on the John Deere.

[Outro]

Those cows may only want the hay…

But I prefer my version.