Go on and put on that dress that all the bad boys like
I know your daddy ain’t home, so ride with me tonight
You always wind up here, in a puddle of tears
Them boys are out and they’re angry and they’re lookin’ for blood
In the back of a blue old pick up truck
You’ve got nowhere to go, although you’re all gussied up
There’s so much whiskey in his Coke it’ll make her nose bend
But she swears that his love is a damn God-send
She ain’t known God since she was a child
She used to play in the yard and she would dream of one day
Until the world came around and took her dreaming away
Told her how to dress and act and smile
She’s an Oklahoma smokeshow
He’s an asshole from back home
She’ll never make it out alive
Of that small town bar scene
Where small vices kill your big dreams
He’d take you home but he’s too drunk to drive
I’ve been here, I’ve been up all night
Thinkin’ ’bout a life with you and I
One you’ll never know
‘Cause you’re a small town smokeshow
Well, I’ve been here, I’ve been up all night
Thinkin’ ’bout a life with you and I
One you’ll never know
‘Cause you’re a small town smokeshow
Go on and put on that dress that all the bad boys like
I know your daddy ain’t home, so ride with me tonight
You always wind up here, in a puddle of tears
Them boys are out and they’re angry and they’re looking for blood
In the back of a blue old pick up truck
You’ve got nowhere to go, although you’re all gussied up
Small Town Dreams and Heartbreak: Interpreting “Oklahoma Smokeshow”
In “Oklahoma Smokeshow,” Zach Bryan paints a vivid portrait of small-town longing, heartbreak, and the struggle to break free from the cycles that hold people back. The protagonist is caught between desire and despair, dressing up for the fleeting attention of “bad boys” while trapped in a rut of broken dreams and dashed hopes. Bryan’s lyrics reflect the tension between youthful optimism and the harsh realities of life in a place where “small vices kill your big dreams.” The song’s melancholic tone is underscored by the repeated image of a woman with nowhere to go, always ending up in “a puddle of tears”—a powerful symbol of lost innocence and the difficulty of escape.
Song Credits
- Artist: Zach Bryan
- Songwriter: Zach Bryan
- Release Year: 2022