[Verse 1]
Pop works in the shop 'til eight
Mom's on the phone and she's kind of irate
Sally's doing sommersaults on the lawn
Pop slams open the front screen door
Just to scare Mom, she says, "What the hell did you do that for? "
He washes his dirty hands in the sink
And things around the table are kind of rough
Mom says it's Pa, Pa says, "Times are just tough"
And me and Sally don't say much of nothing at all
The garage door light brightens up the night
Pa always works on cars when he gets in a fight
As if he could figure out that woman by working on that old car

[Pre-Chorus]
He said a car can cure any problem at all
'Cause seeing all those parts makes a fight look so small
I wish he'd put me and Sally in the backseat and drive us away
That's when he sits me down
He says he's gonna teach me about life
He said, "A man needs a car and a boy needs a bike"
I got my first taste of freedom beneath the light of the moon

[Chorus]
If it were me
I'd have the guts
I'd put to test those bolts and nuts
And ride away
So fast, so far
[Verse 2]
We put away our tools and go back inside
Mom feels left out and now she's starting to cry
I wonder if all girls are crazy this way
I wish that Pops would just get a spine
I said, "I know it's kind of little but you can borrow mine"
He just smiles and says, "Your mom means well, son"
You see
Most times are good, it's just some that are lean
But love makes up for those times in between
He got a tear in his eye as he took Mama's hand
Said one day I'd understand

[Chorus]
If it were me
I'd have the guts
I'd put to test those bolts and nuts
And ride away
So fast, so far
Ride away
So fast, so far
Ride away