Daddy's Cup
Drive-By Truckers Lyrics

Before I could walk, I had a wrench in my hand
As a small child, I was already being taught about cars and mechanics

I was my Mama's little angel and my Daddy's second chance
My father lived vicariously through me, hoping that I would accomplish what he couldn't

He went end over end the first year he went pro
My father had a bad accident while racing professionally

Lost part of his eyesight and he couldn't race no more
My father's accident caused him to lose some of his vision and he had to retire from racing

But he never lost his touch when he got underneath the hood
However, my father's passion for cars and racing never faded and he continued to work on cars

He knew how to make them run and he knew one day he would
My father had a keen knowledge of cars and believed that he could one day achieve his dream of winning a race

See his name in victory lane and engraved on that cup
My father longed to win a race and have his name on the winner's cup

Just like all them other crazy fools with racing in their blood
My father was just as passionate about racing as any other driver

He would put me on his lap when he'd drive and I'd take the wheel
When I was a child, my father would let me sit on his lap and pretend to drive his car

He'd say 'What do you think about that son? How does she feel?
My father would ask for my input and opinions on how the car felt and performed

You just wait till them little legs get long enough to reach the gas
My father was excited for the day when I would be able to reach the gas pedal and actually drive the car

Once you put her on the floor one time there ain't no turning back'
When I finally started driving, my father knew that I would become as passionate about racing as he was

Every Saturday, he'd take me out to the garage
My father and I spent every Saturday working on cars in the garage

He'd take an empty bucket and fill it full of engine parts
My father would gather engine parts in a bucket so that we could work on them together

He's sit me down and pour 'em out in front of me on the floor
My father would lay out the engine parts on the floor and explain what they were and how they worked

I'd have to tell him what each one was and what each one was for
My father would quiz me on my knowledge of engine parts to reinforce what I had learned

We'd jump into the car and go down to the race that night
My father and I would attend car races together

He'd tell me what each driver was doing wrong and what each one did right
My father would analyze the drivers' techniques and point out their strengths and weaknesses

He could always pick the winner before they ever took a curve
My father had a talent for predicting who would win the race before it even started

Number three might have the car but 43 has got the nerve
My father believed that sometimes it's not the best car but the driver's courage that determines the winner

Before I turned 18 Daddy said 'Now pretty soon
As I approached adulthood, my father began to prepare me to take on the responsibility of racing

You'll be old enough to drive but I'll leave it up to you
My father trusted me to make the decision to pursue racing on my own

I taught you all about it, taught you everything I know
My father knew that he had given me all the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in racing

You gotta have a car to do it and you gotta work and buy your own'
However, my father made it clear that I would need to work hard and earn the money to buy my own car if I wanted to race

The first one I bought was a Mustang number two
I bought a Ford Mustang as my first car for racing

Nobody kept 'em any longer than they kept a pair of shoes
Mustangs were popular cars for racers, but they didn't last very long

They started showing up at every used car lot in town
There were many used Mustangs available for purchase because they were frequently used for racing

A V-8 on a go-cart, easy terms, no money down
Mustangs were like V-8 powered go-karts and were available on easy payment plans with no money down

Me and Daddy and my uncle took her home and tore her down
My father, uncle, and I worked on my Mustang to prepare it for racing

Checked her out real good, cleaned her up, and bored her out
We thoroughly inspected the car, cleaned it, and modified the engine for better performance

Took out all the seats, pulled the carpet off the floor
To make the car lighter and faster, we removed unnecessary parts such as the seats and carpet

Knocked out all the glass and welded up the doors
We removed the windows and welded the doors shut to improve the car's aerodynamics

The first time that I raced my qualifying was a shame
In my first race, I did poorly in the qualifying round

I started out way in the back and came back about the same
I began the actual race from a low starting position and failed to make significant progress

I pulled her in the pit, couldn't look my Daddy in the eye
Ashamed of my performance, I pulled the car into the pit area and avoided looking at my father

He said 'If you quit now son, it's gonna haunt you all your life'
My father recognized that quitting after one bad race would have a negative impact on my entire life

It ain't about the money or even being number one
My desire to race wasn't just about the money or winning

You gotta know when it's all over you did the best you could've done
I wanted to be able to look back on my racing career and know that I gave it my all

Knowing that it's in you and you never let it out
Failing to pursue my passion for racing would have been worse than failing on the track

Is worse than blowing any engine or any wreck you'll ever have
Not pursuing my passion would have been more damaging than any physical or financial setback from racing

Since then I've wrecked a bunch of cars and I've broke a bunch of bones
Over the years, I've been involved in many racing accidents that have caused physical injury and damage to my cars

It's anybody's race out there and I've learned to race my own
I understand that anyone can win a race and have learned to focus on improving my own performance

I'd shove 'em in the wall and I'd hit 'em from behind
In the heat of competition, I was unafraid to push other drivers to gain an advantage

I'd let them know that I was there, I'd let them know that track was mine
I wanted to make sure other drivers were aware of my presence and that I was a force to be reckoned with

It's been several years now since my Daddy passed away
My father has been dead for a few years now

But his picture's on my dash every time I go to race
I keep a picture of my father on my dashboard to remind me of his influence on my life

I lost more than I won but I ain't gonna give up
While I haven't won many races, I refuse to give up on my passion for racing

Till they put me in the ground or Daddy's name's on that cup
I will continue to race until I die or until I am able to achieve my father's dream of winning a race and having his name on the winner's cup