Written by Dennis Linde, the song is a moderate up-tempo describing a young man named Billy Bob, who is in love with a young woman named Charlene, both of whom met in high school. One late summer evening, Billy Bob 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, as a means of professing his affection towards Charlene. The second verse describes the two of them raising a family on an 80-acre farm they purchased (with a front yard from which Billy Bob's water tower decorations are viewable), while the bridge reveals that the heart and words continue to remain intact on the tower, despite the town’s numerous ponderations to paint over them.
For the single release, Epic Records had Diffie re-record "John Deere Green" for commercial and airplay release. The re-recorded version included a slightly altered rearrangement, more commercial-pop sound, as well as re-recorded vocals. To date, the "Edited" version has only been released via cassette tape and 7" single.
John Deere Green
Joe Diffie Lyrics
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They 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
And the whole town said that he should've 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
He wrote "Billy Bob loves Charlene" in letters three foot high
And the whole town said the boy should've used red
But it looked good to Charlene
In John Deere green
Now more than once the town has discovered
Painting over it ain't no use
There ain't no paint in the world that'll cover it
The heart keeps showing through
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 the fool should've used red
But it looked good to Charlene
In John Deere green
Ah, paint it green boy
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 the boy should've used red
But it looked good to Charlene
In John Deere green
John Deere green
The song “John Deere Green” by Joe Diffie tells the touching story of two farm kids in Dixie, who fell in love in high school in the 1960s. The lyrics are about a romantic gesture that the singer, Billy Bob, does for his sweetheart, Charlene, one summer night. Billy Bob climbs on a water tower and starts painting a ten-foot heart in John Deere green, the iconic color of the farm tractors manufactured by the company. To express his love, he includes the message "Billy Bob loves Charlene" in letters three-feet high. The whole town discusses the color of the heart, believing Billy Bob should have used red instead of green - however, Charlene loves it.
Years later, the couple settles down on their farm, where they grow crops and raise their family. From their front yard, they can still look to the east and see Billy Bob’s memorable heart-shaped message written in John Deere green. The whole town tried to cover up the heart with paint, but it was a fruitless effort because the heart keeps shining through. The last phrase of the song, "paint it green, boy," is an invitation to everyone to value romantic feelings and to be generous about expressing them openly.
The song discusses the theme of everlasting love and the power of memory to bring the past into the present. The lyrics also contain many references to farming - a rustic occupation that is often associated with more traditional values.
Line by Line Meaning
They were farm kids way down in Dixie
They grew up in Southern America as farm-raised children
They met in high school in the sixties
They met while attending high school during the 1960s
Everyone knew it was love from the start
Their love was evident and easily recognizable by all who knew them
One July in the midnight hour
During a hot July night, in the late and quiet hours
He climbed upon the water tower
He scaled the town's water tower, probably for a better view
Stood on the rail and painted a ten foot heart
He stood on the fence or railing of the tower and painted a giant heart, ten feet tall
In John Deere green, on a hot summer night
The heart was painted in the signature green color of John Deere farm equipment, on a warm summer night
He wrote "Billy Bob loves Charlene" in letters three foot high
He used three-foot-tall letters to spell out 'Billy Bob loves Charlene', broadcasted across the town
And the whole town said that he should've used red
The townspeople argued that using the color red would be more appropriate for such a display of love
But it looked good to Charlene
Despite the opinion of the people, Charlene specifically found the John Deere green heart beautiful
They settled down on eighty acres
They owned and occupied a sizable property of eighty acres
Raising sweet corn, kids and tomatoes
On their property, they grew and harvested crops such as sweet corn and tomatoes and raised their children
They went together like a hand and a glove
They were inseparable and made a perfect match for each other
On a clear day, from their front yard
On a day with good visibility, they could see from their home's front lawn
If you look and know what to look for
If you knew where and how to look, you could find something special
Off to the east you can still read his words of love
Looking toward the east, one could still read the John Deere green heart displaying the message of 'Billy Bob loves Charlene'
Now more than once the town has discovered
At some point, the town has become aware of the heart on the water tower
Painting over it ain't no use
Attempting to paint over the heart is pointless
There ain't no paint in the world that'll cover it
No paint exists that can completely cover or erase the heart
The heart keeps showing through
The heart remains visible despite any attempted cover-up
Ah, paint it green boy
The singer encourages the use of John Deere green in painting displays of love
In John Deere green, on a hot summer night
The song finishes repeating the image of the iconic John Deere green heart painted on a hot summer night
He wrote "Billy Bob loves Charlene" in letters three foot high
Once again mentioning the exact message painted on the heart for emphasis
And the whole town said the boy should've used red
The song ends suggesting that the town may have always questioned the choice of green, but the heart and message remain as strong as ever
But it looked good to Charlene
As the chorus notes, Charlene was always happy with the way that the heart and message were painted
In John Deere green
The iconic John Deere green coloring that made this particular tale of a youthful romance stand out in this country classic
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dennis Linde
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind