| Way back in Alabama where the dirt roads cut through the woods
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| And when it rains you can smell the steam off the grass
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| Even dew on the hood of my paw paw’s 1985 Chevrolet Silverado
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| I must have been about six
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| Life was so easy back in the sticks
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| 16 year old mother fought for the life she wanted for her son
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| Lookin’ for love in the world of rock and roll is where it begun
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| It was Alabama, Ted Nugent
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| Alice Cooper, Randy Travis
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| Aerosmith kept my stepdaddy on the road
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| And life, it was madness
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| Cocaine and alcohol filled up the house party to be frank
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| It wasn’t too long before I tried it myself and then started to drink
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| School became boring and doing my homework became rollin’ joints
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| Now I’m sixteen like my mama was when she had a little boy
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| Can’t imagine it now as I look back ’cause I got three kids of my own
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| And I respect what she went through to pay for food and clothes
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| And her home
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| ‘Cause it ain’t what she did, it’s what she didn’t do for me
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| That brought me to this moment
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| And made me who I am on this recording
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| And this is my story
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| This is my story
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| This is my glory
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| This is what keeps me alive
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| This is me flying
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| This is me trying
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| This is what keeps me alive
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| 20 years old in the streets and I’m rollin’ with gangsters now
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| Hip-hop is takin’ over me, my language, my clothes, my lifestyle
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| Antioch, Tennessee put me through the school of hard knocks
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| And I carry that attitude with me to this day, more or not
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| And I’m young and hot-headed
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| Always running from police and skateboardin’
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| Graffiti, loiterin’, I sorta got my peace from the chaos
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| Was no «mother-may-I’s,» surrounded by have-nots
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| And maybe some day I’s well
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| I was against the grain, even when I was growin’ wheat
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| Got back into rock and roll, and then got into poetry
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| Started expressin’ everything I could through the medium of pen and pad
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| Playin’ instrumentals off a tape and then over-dubbin’ what I had
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| It was everything, because I had nothin’
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| And man that was alright, ’cause now I had somethin’
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| Little did I know that would be the hardest thing to do God ever put before me
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| So I took a look at what I’ve been through
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| And I made it my glory, and this is…
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| This is my story
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| This is my glory
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| This is what keeps me alive
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| This is me flying
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| This is me trying
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| This is what keeps me alive
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| It’s a 2 AM bus ‘craw; |
| from me at the parkin’ lot of Wal-Mart
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| Leavin’ Nashville, Tennessee for a nationwide tour
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| My bags are all packed and I’m loadin’ my truck to go meet the crew
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| And I’m excited to get on the road, already one foot out the door
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| Turn around and it’s my daughter, she’s cryin’
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| ‘Cause daddy is leavin’
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| Knows that I’ll be gone for months and it hurts and I hate to see it
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| Kneel down and tell her, «Look, baby, I promise I’ll call you everyday
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| And daddy will sing you prayers from everywhere that we go play»
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| But that’s not enough, and it’s breakin’ my heart in two
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| Just knowin’ I can’t stay, not even to see it through
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| And that I can’t tuck her in, to say goodbye with a grin
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| Now she’s bein’ left behind, this is me all over again, man
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| I picked her up in my arms and held her tight
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| And said, «Hey you know what? |
| Daddy used to be just like you
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| When I would walk up to the bus
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| And I’d do anything in the world for you, so chase your dreams
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| One day you’ll use everything you’ve been through to be anything, baby girl
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| This is my story
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| This is my story
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| This is my glory
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| This is what keeps me alive
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| This is me flying
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| This is me trying
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| This is what keeps me alive |