Well I caught my wife with another man
And it cost me ninety nine
On a prison farm in Georgia
Close to the Florida line
Well I’d been here for two long years
I finally made the warden my friend
And so he sentenced me to a life of ease
Taking care of Ol’ Red
Now Ol’ Red he’s the damnedest dog that I’ve ever seen
Got a nose that can smell a two day trail
He’s a four legged tracking machine
You can consider yourself mighty lucky
To get past the gators and the quicksand beds
But all these years that I’ve been here
Ain’t nobody got past Red
And the warden sang
Come on somebody
Why don’t you run
Ol’ Red’s itchin’ to have a little fun
Get my lantern
Get my gun
Red’ll have you treed before the mornin’ comes
Well I paid off the guard and I slipped out a letter
To my cousin up in Tennessee
Oh and he brought down a blue tick hound
She was pretty as she could be
Well they penned her up in the swampland
‘Bout a mile just south of the gate
And I’d take Ol’ Red for his evening run
I’d just drop him off and wait
And the warden sang
Come on somebody
Why don’t you run
Ol’ Red’s itchin’ to have a little fun
Get my lantern
Get my gun
Red’ll have you treed before the mornin’ comes
Now Ol’ Red got real used to seeing
His lady every night
And so I kept him away for three or four days
And waited till the time got right
Well I made my run with the evenin’ sun
And I smiled when I heard ’em turn Red out
‘Cause I was headed north to Tennessee
And Ol’ Red was headed south
And the warden sang
Come on somebody
Why don’t you run
Ol’ Red’s itchin’ to have a little fun
Get my lantern
Get my gun
Red’ll have you treed before the mornin’ comes
Now there’s red haired blue ticks all in the South
Love got me in here and love got me out
The Tale of Cunning and Redemption
“Ol’ Red” by Blake Shelton tells a gripping story of heartbreak, justice, and ingenuity set against the backdrop of a Southern prison. The protagonist finds himself incarcerated after catching his wife with another man, and is assigned to care for Ol’ Red, the prison’s legendary bloodhound. The lyrics weave a tale of friendship, strategy, and hope as the narrator devises a clever escape plan, using Ol’ Red’s instincts and a little romance to outsmart the relentless hound. The song balances suspense with wit, painting vivid imagery of Southern landscapes and prison life while highlighting the power of love and resourcefulness to triumph over tough odds.
Song Credits
Songwriters: James “Bo” Bohan, Don Goodman, Mark Sherrill
Release Year: 2002
Label: Warner Bros. Nashville