Cody Johnson‘s “Dirt Cheap” isn’t about being thrifty. The lyrics to his new country ballad will hit the hearts of anyone who’s a parent, and most of those who just have one.
Josh Phillips wrote “Dirt Cheap,” found on Johnson’s critically acclaimed Leather album. Country fans should be familiar with the theme: a businessman comes knocking, but a property owner isn’t selling. Justin Moore, Montgomery Gentry and (in a different kind of way) Jordan Davis have all lauded the value of good dirt in recent years.
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The Texan makes the story personal. It’s nearly impossible to believe he’s not describing the pink ribbon in his daughter’s hair, or the dog that he used to hunt with. This emotional nostalgia is set at a time when those two are just memories, however. That’s why it stings — the phrase “they grow up fast” has never been uttered quite like this.
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“Dirt Cheap” was already a Top 20 hit when Johnson took it to the ACM Awards on May 16. His quiet performance contrasts his rowdy live shows. Together, both show why he’s an Entertainer of the Year nominee.
Here Are the Lyrics to Cody Johnson, “Dirt Cheap”:
They came in thinking top dollar / To that old cotton crop farmer / They knocked on his screen door, and he said / “Lord, what you need, boys?” And they said / “You know all the others went and cashed out / We got the subdivision all mapped out / It’ll sit right here on this land / And you can leave town a rich man” / And he said, “Boys, whatever you’re offering, it won’t be enough.
Chorus:
‘Cause I got a little girl that used to swing right there / I still see her pink bow in her brown hair / She’s in the big city, but she still calls home / What’s she gonna do if she comes back, and we’re gone / And over there, under that white oak tree / Beneath the cross is where my best buddy’s buried / Lasted 13 huntin’ seasons runnin’ strong / Keep your money ’cause a man can’t leave his dog / And over there is where I got down on one knee / You can’t buy that kind of dirt cheap.”
One man smiled and he kinda looked away / The other said, “Before we go, I gotta know one thing / Between the droughts and the floods through all the years / What in the world got you through / How the hell’d you get here?”
Second Chorus:
And he said, “That little girl that used to swing right there / I still see her pink bow in her brown hair / Runnin’ up after one of them long days / A big smile makin’ every little worry fade / And over there, under that wide oak tree / Beneath the cross, where my best buddy’s buried / All them huntin’ seasons freezing in a Jon boat / Me and him, double-barrel and a two-stroke / And that woman that said yes when I got down on one knee / Yeah, you can’t buy that kind of dirt cheap.”
No, it ain’t somethin’ you fall into / It’s somethin’ God gives you / And you hold on to.
Third Chorus:
Just like that little girl who used to swing right there / I still see her pink bow in her brown hair / She’s in the big city now, but she still calls home / She’s comin’ back next week, and man, it’s been too long / And over there, under that wide oak tree / Beside the cross, where my best buddy’s buried / Lays a puppy posted up in the shade / That woman never could turn away a stray / I guess this’s why she said yes when I got down on one knee / Oh, long as all this is here, why the hell would I ever leave / And you can’t buy that kind of dirt cheap.
