Oh, the hells I
Put myself through
The fights I
Didn't need to fight
This thick head of mine
You couldn't get through
Had to do it wrong
Just to get it right
Just to get it right
I learned the hard way
But the hard way taught me well
The hard way
Sure put this boy through hell
The hard way
It taught me how to tell
The right way from the wrong
And which side I belong on
Deep are the memories
As a young boy
Of the lessons
That I learned
My mama warned me
That fire is no toy
You play with fire, boy
And you get burned
Oh, I got burned
And learned the hard way
But the hard way taught me well
The hard way
Sure put this boy through hell
The hard way
It taught me how to tell
The right way from the wrong
And on which side I belong on
What others learned in Sunday school
I learned by getting black and blue
I learned the hard way
But the hard way taught me well
The hard way
It put me through some hell
The hard way
It taught me how to tell
The right way from the wrong
And on which side I belong on
Oh, the hells I
Put myself through
The fights I
Didn't need to fight
This thick head of mine
You couldn't get through
Had to do it wrong
Just to get it right
Just to get it right
I learned the hard way
But the hard way taught me well
The hard way
Sure put this boy through hell
The hard way
It taught me how to tell
The right way from the wrong
And on which side I belong on
The hard way
I learned the hard way
I learned the hard way
I learned the hard way
I learned the hard way