Content
The song tells the story of two young lovers dealing with difficult scenarios at three different stages in their lives. In each situation, the man does all he can to make sure different people "don't take the girl."
In the first verse, the young man (Johnny) is eight years old, about to go on a fishing trip with his father. A young, unnamed girl, apparently Johnny's age, is also present, with fishing pole in hand. Johnny does not want the girl to come fishing with them. So he begs his father to "take any boy in the world / Daddy please, don't take the girl".
The song's second verse finds Johnny and the girl ten years later, as teenagers, and they have fallen in love with each other and are now going steady. As Johnny and the girl are leaving the picture show (movie theater) on their date, they encounter a lone robber. The robber grabs the girl and tells Johnny to give in to his demands. Johnny surrenders his money, wallet, credit cards, his grandfather's watch, and car so that the girl would be safe (In the music video, the crook is only seen running away with the wallet).
Verse three takes place another five years after the second verse. At this point, Johnny and the girl are now married, when the girl is rushed to the hospital to have her baby delivered. The baby is safely delivered, but the doctor informs Johnny that his wife is "fading fast" (presumably dying of childbirth complications). Johnny then collapses to his knees and prays to God, asking that his own life be taken instead of his wife's. In the music video, it is revealed that Johnny's wife and child both survive.
The song ends with a repeat of the opening line of the song: "Johnny's daddy was taking him fishin' when he was eight years old" leaving the listener with the impression that the cycle has begun to repeat itself.
Read more about this topic: Don't Take The Girl
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