Back in the spring, Luke Bryan added a song about legendary fisherman Bill Dance to the deluxe edition of his Born Here Live Here Die Here album. It's an ode to healthy obsessions with bass fishing, on the same expanded album as two other love letters to weekends spent on the water: "Floatin' This Creek" and new single "Up."
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Bryan wrote about the influence of Bill Dance Outdoors with songwriters Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins. As the song tells it, Dance's television presence, as still seen on the Outdoor Channel, keeps young fans in bass boats and out of trouble.
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Bryan shared the song's music video on Dance's 81st birthday (Oct. 7). The country star spends quality time with a regional icon in footage that puts over how fishing brings generations of outdoorsy types together.
"Bill Dance" Lyrics
This ain't no lie
Saved all my birthday money up
Put it down on a rod and reel
I got my green and tan Plano loaded up
Permission to fish behind that old sawmill
Mama said watch for snakes
Daddy said shut the gate
Brother said they're biting on the Zoom black and red flake
Laying in the bed that night
I swear I could barely sleep
'Cause all I ever wanted to be was Bill Dance
Fishing for a living
Saturday morning on television
A Georgia boy learning how to hook big bass
From a large mouth legend in a Tennessee hat
Taught me how to tie 'em on
Taught me how to take 'em off
Taught me how to catch 'em when they said they couldn't be caught
Nobody ever had to worry about me
'Cause all I ever wanted to be was Bill Dance
While other boys were playing ball and knocking heads
I was floating on the Muckalee
While rebel kids were smoking, stealing cigarettes
I was fishing in them cypress trees
Paddle and a Jon boat, 9 pound, no joke
Got him in the net 'cause I didn't get my line broke
Using every trick in the book Daddy ever taught me
'Cause all I ever wanted to be was Bill Dance
Fishing for a living
Saturday morning on television
A Georgia boy learning how to hook big bass
From a large mouth legend in a Tennessee hat
Taught me how to tie 'em on
Taught me how to take 'em off
Taught me how to catch 'em when they said they couldn't be caught
Nobody ever had to worry about me
'Cause all I ever wanted to be was Bill Dance
There's a lot of heroes out there these days
But if you ask me mine, there's only one name I'll say
Bill Dance, fishing for a living
Saturday morning on television
A Georgia boy learning how to hook big bass
From the best damn fisherman the world's ever had
Taught me how to tie 'em on
Taught me how to take 'em off
Taught me how to catch 'em when they said they couldn't be caught
Nobody ever had to worry about me
'Cause all I ever wanted to be was Bill Dance
Bill Dance
Yeah, the sun is just starting to shine up over the treetops
It's gonna be a beautiful day, it's plain to see
