John Deere Green
John Deere Green is a country song written by Dennis Linde and sung by Joe Diffie. It came out in November 1993 as the third single from the album Honky Tonk Attitude and climbed to number five on the country charts. The song tells the story of Billy Bob, who loves Charlene in high school. To prove his love, he paints “Billy Bob loves Charlene” and a heart on a water tower with John Deere green paint. Years later they raise a family on an 80-acre farm, and the heart on the tower stays visible even when the town tries to repaint it. For the single release, Epic Records re-recorded the song with a more polished, pop-influenced sound; the edited version was released on cassette and 7-inch vinyl. Rolling Stone ranked it #152 on their list of the 200 Greatest Country Songs. The song has inspired other versions, including Hellbillies’ Norwegian take “Bondeblå” in 1996, American Aquarium’s 2021 cover, and a 2023 CMA performance by Morgan Wallen and Hardy with Post Malone that led to a 2024 studio recording for Hardy’s Hixtape Vol. 3.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:05 (CET).