Riding with Private Malone
Encyclopedia
"Riding with Private Malone" is the title of a song written by Wood Newton
and Thom Shepherd, and recorded by American country music
artist David Ball. Released in August 2001 as the first single from his fifth studio album Amigo, the song reached a peak of #2 on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts (now Hot Country Songs
) chart, and #36 on the Billboard Hot 100
. It was Ball's first Top 40 country hit since "Look What Followed Me Home" in 1995. USA Today
referred to it as "the country song that tapped most subtly and profoundly into the emotions of its audience" after the September 11 attacks, even though it was released to radio a few weeks before the attacks.
through the classified ads. Upon purchasing the car, he opens its glove compartment
, where he finds a note written by the car's former owner, a deceased soldier of the Vietnam War
. The note is dated 1966 and tells of the car's origins: it came from a soldier referred to as Private Andrew Malone.
Throughout the rest of the song, the singer fixes up the car and starts driving it. On some occasions, he claims to see a "soldier riding shotgun" in the front seat (i.e., Private Malone's ghost) and the radio would tune itself to oldies stations, "especially late at night." By the third verse, the singer has wrecked the car after speeding on a curve in the road during a severe rainstorm. Although he does not recall any other details about the accident, someone said they thought they saw him rescued from the car by an unidentified soldier. The narrator is convinced that it was Private Malone who saved him.
magazine reviewed the song favorably saying that the lyric "incorporates all the elements that make traditional country great - patriotism, tragedy, survival, and, of course, a cool car." She goes on to say that the understated production keeps the focus on the story and Ball's "powerful delivery."
Wood Newton
Wood Newton is an American songwriter and musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. Newton was born in Hampton, Arkansas, and graduated from Hampton High School in Hampton, Arkansas in 1964...
and Thom Shepherd, and recorded by American country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist David Ball. Released in August 2001 as the first single from his fifth studio album Amigo, the song reached a peak of #2 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) chart, and #36 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It was Ball's first Top 40 country hit since "Look What Followed Me Home" in 1995. USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
referred to it as "the country song that tapped most subtly and profoundly into the emotions of its audience" after the September 11 attacks, even though it was released to radio a few weeks before the attacks.
Background and writing
Co-writer Wood Newton told The Boot that Thom Shepherd had the name of Malone, because it rhymed with home. Newton had seen a story about a guy who had restored a 1966 Corvette and put up a website about it. He had also seen another story about this guy who restored a car and he would tune the radio to one channel but it would always change back to a different station, so he thought the car was haunted. Newton said they chose a 1966 Corvette because it was an amazing icon of American ingenuity. Newton and Thom debuted the song on March 23, 2001 at the Opry Star Spotlight.Content
The song describes a narrator who just finished his military service and purchases a Chevrolet CorvetteChevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
through the classified ads. Upon purchasing the car, he opens its glove compartment
Glove compartment
A glove compartment or glovebox, also known as a little cupboard, is a compartment built into the dashboard, located over the front-seat passenger's footwell in an automobile, often used for miscellaneous storage. The name derives from the original purpose of the compartment, to store gloves...
, where he finds a note written by the car's former owner, a deceased soldier of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The note is dated 1966 and tells of the car's origins: it came from a soldier referred to as Private Andrew Malone.
Throughout the rest of the song, the singer fixes up the car and starts driving it. On some occasions, he claims to see a "soldier riding shotgun" in the front seat (i.e., Private Malone's ghost) and the radio would tune itself to oldies stations, "especially late at night." By the third verse, the singer has wrecked the car after speeding on a curve in the road during a severe rainstorm. Although he does not recall any other details about the accident, someone said they thought they saw him rescued from the car by an unidentified soldier. The narrator is convinced that it was Private Malone who saved him.
Critical reception
Rick Cohoon of Allmusic gave the song a favorable review. He stated that it "combines two elements that blend well for country fans-patriotism and the supernatural." Cohoon also said that "the plot is memorable, and Ball's performance drives the piece." Deborah Evans Price, of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine reviewed the song favorably saying that the lyric "incorporates all the elements that make traditional country great - patriotism, tragedy, survival, and, of course, a cool car." She goes on to say that the understated production keeps the focus on the story and Ball's "powerful delivery."
Chart positions
"Riding with Private Malone" debuted at number 55 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of September 8, 2001. Having reached the top 10 by year's end, it was the second independently-distributed single to make the country top 10 that year, making 2001 the first year since 1983 to produce two independently-distributed top 10 hits.| Chart (2001-2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 36 |