Southern by Choice

Verse

He was born where the north wind cuts you thin,

Snow piled high on Ohio skin,

But he ran south fast at seventeen,

Chasin’ salt air and Navy dreams.

Cooked for sailors on the rollin’ tide,

Fed the fleet with a Chief’s pride,

Popeye ridin’ his tattooed calf,

Olive Oyl hangin’ on the back half.

Chorus

They call him Chief, they call him Bill,

Navy made and iron-willed,

Yankee born but Dixie voice,

That man’s Southern by choice.

Hates the snow but loves Deb sweet,

Cruises Lynn Haven in a golf cart seat,

From the seven seas to the drive-thru lights,

He orders life big and loud at night.

Verse

Wednesday nights we’d chalk that cue,

Buckwheat grinnin’, scratchin’ the blue,

Few cold beers and the hunger grew,

Like sailors’ stories always do.

Pulled up slow to the speaker screen,

Midnight quiet, fryer machine,

He leaned in close so proud and clear…

Whole dang kitchen came to hear.

Chorus

They call him Chief, they call him Bill,

Navy made and iron-willed,

Yankee born but Dixie voice,

That man’s Southern by choice.

Hates the snow but loves Deb sweet,

Cruises Lynn Haven in a golf cart seat,

From the seven seas to the drive-thru lights,

He orders life big and loud at night.

Bridge

You can take the Chief off the ocean wide,

But you can’t take the tide outta that stride,

And you sure can’t quiet a Navy man’s pride.

Verse

Backyard rows and tomato vines,

Cussin’ weeds in straight-line rhymes,

Brags on Alesha savin’ lives,

Sharpest hands in surgical lines.

He calls me Spanky, I call him Wheat,

Two old Rascals on a Lynn Haven street,

Just a couple fools growin’ older in age,

Still raisin’ hell on a small-town stage.

Chorus

They call him Chief, I call him friend,

Salt runs deep from end to end,

From Popeye ink to onion voice,

That man’s Southern by choice.

He lives it big, he says it plain,

Laughs out loud, don’t hide a thing,

From the Navy deck to hometown nights,

Chief still orders his burgers loud at night.