THE OLD MAN

WAS COVERED

WITH TATTOOS AND SCARS

HE GOT SOME IN PRISON

AND OTHERS IN BARS

THE REST HE GOT

WORKIN' ON

OLD JUNK CARS

IN THE DAYTIME

THEY LOOKED LIKE

TOMBSTONES

IN OUR YARD

AND I NEVER SEEN HIM

WHEN HE WASN'T TIRED

AND MEAN

HE SOLD USED PARTS

TO MAKE ENDS MEET

COVERED WITH GREASE

FROM HIS HEAD

TO HIS FEET

CUSSIN' THE SWEAT

AND THE TEXAS HEAT

AND MOSQUITERS

AND THE NEIGHBORS SAID

WE LIVED LIKE HICKS

BUT THEY BRUNG

THEIR CARS

FOR PA TO FIX

ANYHOW

HE WAS VETERAN- PROUD

TRIED AND TRUE

HE'D FOUGHT

'TIL HIS HEART

WAS BLACK AND BLUE

DIDN'T KNOW HOW

HE'D MADE IT THROUGH

THE HARD TIMES

HE BOUGHT OUR HOUSE

ON THE G.I. BILL

BUT IT WASN'T WORTH

ALL HE HAD TO KILL

TO GET IT

HE DRANK PEARL

IN A CAN

AND JACK DANIELS BLACK

CHEWED TOBACCO

FROM A MAIL POUCH

SACK

HAD AN OLD DOG

THAT WAS TRAINED

TO ATTACK

SOMETIMES

HE'D GET DRUNK

AND MEAN

AS A RATTLESNAKE

AND THERE WADN'T

TOO MUCH

THAT HE WOULD TAKE

FROM A STRANGER

THERE WERE

THIRTEEN KIDS

AND A BUNCH OF DOGS

A HOUSE

FULL OF CHICKENS

AND A YARD FULL OF HOGS

I SPENT

THE SUMMERTIME

CUTTIN' UP LOGS

FOR THE WINTER

TRYIN' LIKE THE DEVIL

TO FIND THE LORD

WORKIN' LIKE A DIGGER

FOR MY ROOM AND BOARD

COAL- BURNIN' STOVE

NO NATURAL GAS

IF THAT AIN'T COUNTRY

I'LL KISS YOUR ASS

IF THAT AIN'T COUNTRY

IT'LL HAIR LIP THE POPE

IF THAT AIN'T COUNTRY

IT'S A DAMN GOOD JOKE

I'VE SEEN THE

GRAND OLE OPRY

AND I'VE MET

JOHNNY CASH

IF THAT AIN'T COUNTRY

I'LL KISS YOUR ASS

4 BAR

BREAK

MAMA SELLS EGGS

AT A GROCERY STORE

MY OLDEST SISTER'S

A FIRST- RATE WHORE AN'

DAD SAYS SHE CAN'T

COME HOME ANYMORE

AND HE MEANS IT

MA JUST SITS

AND KEEPS HER SILENCE

SISTER SHE LEFT

'CAUSE DAD GOT VIOLENT

AND HE KNOWS IT

MAMA SHE'S OLD

FAR BEYOND HER TIME

FROM CHOPPING

TOBACCO

AND I'VE SEEN HER

CRYIN'

WHEN BLOOD

STARTED FLOWIN'

FROM HER

CALLOUSED HAND

IT HURT ME

SHE'D JUST KEEP WORKIN'

TRYIN' TO HELP

THE OLD MAN

TO THE END OF ONE ROW

AND BACK AGAIN

LIKE ALWAYS

SHE'S BEEN THROUGH HELL

SINCE JUNIOR

WENT TO JAIL

WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT

SHE AIN'T NEVER FAILED

TO GET DOWN

ON HER KNEES AND PRAY

BECAUSE SHE LOVES HIM

TOLD ALL THE NEIGHBORS

HE WAS OFF IN THE WAR

FIGHTIN' FOR FREEDOM

HE'S GOOD TO THE CORE

AND SHE'S PROUD

NOW OUR PLACE

WAS A GRAVEYARD

FOR AUTOMOBILES

AT THE END OF THE PORCH

THERE WAS FOUR STACKS

OF WHEELS

AND TIRES FOR SALE

FOR A DOLLAR OR TWO

CASH

THERE WAS FIFTY HOLES

IN OUR OLD TIN ROOF

ME AND MY FAMILY

WAS LIVIN' PROOF

THE PEOPLE WHO FORGOT

ABOUT POOR WHITE TRASH

AND IF THAT AIN'T

COUNTRY

I'LL KISS YOUR ASS

IF THAT AIN'T COUNTRY

IT'LL HAIR LIP THE POPE

IF THAT AIN'T COUNTRY

IT'S A DAMN GOOD JOKE

I'VE SEEN

THE GRAND OLE OPRY

AND I'VE MET

JOHNNY CASH

IF THAT AIN'T COUNTRY

I'LL KISS YOUR ASS

I'M THINKING TONIGHT

OF MY BLUE EYES

CONCERNING

THE GREAT

SPECKLED BIRD

I DIDN'T KNOW

GOD MADE

HONKY- TONK ANGELS

AND WENT BACK

TO THE WILD

SIDE OF LIFE