I was just out of the service   Thumbin' through the classifieds   When an ad that said "Old Chevy"   Somehow caught my eye   The lady didn't know the year   Or even if it ran   But I had that thousand dollars in my hand   It was way back in the corner of this old ramshackle barn   With thirty years of dust and dirt on that green army tarp   And when I pulled the cover off   It took away my breath   What she called a Chevy   Was a sixty-six Corvette   And I felt a little guilty as I counted out the bills   But what a thrill I got   When I sat behind the wheel   I opened up the glovebox   And that's when I found the note   The date was 1966 and this is what he wrote      He said my name is Private Andrew Malone   And if your readin' this, then I didn't make it home   But for every dream that's shattered   Another one comes true   This car was once a dream of mine   Now it belongs to you   Though you may take her and make her your own   You'll always be riding with Private Malone      Well it didn't take me long at all   I had her runnin' good   I loved to hear those horses thunder underneath her hood   I had her shinin' like a diamond and I put the rag top down   All the pretty girls would stop and stare as I drove her through town   The buttons on the radio didn't seem to work quite right   But it picked up that Oldie's Show   Especially late at night   I'd get the feeling sometimes   If I'd turn real quick I'd see   A soldier ridin' shotgun   In the seat right next to me      He was a young man named Private Andrew Malone   Who fought for his country and never made it home   But for every dream that's shattered   Another one comes true   This car was once a dream of his back when it was new   He told me to take her and make her my own   And I was proud to be riding with Private Malone      One night it was rainin' hard   I took the curve too fast   i still dont remember much about that fireycrash   But someone said they thought they saw a soldier pull me out   They didn't get his name   But I know without a doubt      It was a young man named Private Andrew Malone   Who fought for his country and never made it home   But for every dream that's shattered   Another one comes true   This car was once a dream of his back when it was new   And I know I wouldn't be here if he hadn't tagged along   Oh thank God I was riding with Private Malone