I'll Stay Me (2007)

1

All My Friends Say

I got smoke in my hair
My clothes thrown everywhere
Woke up in my rocking chair
Holding a beer in my hand
Sporting a neon tan

My stereo cranked up
I can't find my truck
How'd I get home from the club
Ain't got a clue what went down
So I started calling around

And all my friends say
I started shooting doubles
When you walked in
All my friends say
I went a little crazy
Seeing you with him
You know I don't remember a thing
But they say I sure was raising some cain
I was a rock star, party hard,
Getting over you comeback kid
Yay I must have did
What all my friends say
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

I found my billfold
I cried oh no no
Good time Charlie got me now I'm broke
But it was worth acting like a fool
Yeah girl I must have really showed you

Cause all my friends say
I started shooting doubles
When you walked in
All my friends say
I went a little crazy
Seeing you with him
You know I don't remember a thing
But they say I sure was raising some cain
I was a rock star, party hard,
Getting over you comeback kid
Yay I must have did
What all my friends say
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

I was Elvis rocking on the bar
Working the crowd pouring out my heart

And all my friends say
I started shooting doubles
When you walked in
All my friends say
I went a little crazy
Seeing you with him
You know I don't remember a thing
But they say I sure was raising some cain
I was a rock star, party hard,
Getting over you comeback kid
Yay I must have did
What all my friends say
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

2

Baby's On the Way

I ain't been doing to right,
Since I met her last night,
Some kinda burning breakfast,
Lost at work state of mind,
We're meeting here because,
She mentioned that she loves,
This kind of sushi, veggie, raw and edgy natural stuff.
But I'm feeling out of place,
But baby's on the way.

I'm just boots and a rusty Chevy,
My hands are sweating heavy,
Something she's got got me feeling like this,
All I gotta do is play it cool,
And end the night with a kiss,
Hey, hey, baby's on the way.

Ain't gonna try those lines,
Been used so many times,
Like "when you fell from heaven did it hurt and did you cry?"
I'm just gonna wear this smile,
Sit back and talk a while,
Pull a few questions from my get to know her better file,
Hey its a real good day,
Cause baby's on the way.

I'm just boots in a rusty Chevy,
My hands are sweating heavy,
Something she's got got me feeling like this,
All I gotta do is play it cool,
And end the night with a kiss,
Hey, hey, baby's on the way.

Oh, yeah yeah.

It's just a simple case of can't wait,
Gonna be great to see her again,
Gonna be tough to hide what's inside,
And in my eyes when she walks in.

Oh, I'm just boots in a rusty Chevy,
My hands are sweating heavy,
Something she's got got me feeling like this,
All I gotta do is play it cool,
And end the night with a kiss,
Hey, hey, baby's on the way.

Hey, yeah, my baby's on the way.
Yeah, yeah, baby's on the way.

3

The Car In Front of Me

Homecoming parade, you were the queen
I was riding right behind you with the rest of the team
Saw my ring on your finger as you waved to the crowd
I didn't know a second stringer could ever be so proud

The car in front of me was carrying what i loved more than anything
My sweetest dream was in the car in front of me

On Wednesday nights, we'd meet at church
You'd bring the kids, and I'd come straight from work
Going home I'd read their lips through the window of your van
As they sang Jesus loves me, I thought God I'm a lucky man

The car in front of me was carrying what i loved more than anything
My sweetest dream was in the car in front of me

Even after what the doctor said
You were strong and you believed
And you held us all together through one more spring

Their little hands held on to mine
As we sat in that backseat with tears in our eyes
A long line of headlights
Strangers stopped along the road
No Monday wasn't meant for wearing Sunday clothes

The car in front of me was carrying what I loved more than anything
Oh my sweetest dream was in the car in front of me

4

Pray About Everything

Time is tight and money's short
River's up and the weatherman
He's calling for another storm
Pressure's on, the margins thin
Gotta figure out a fix for this awful fix I'm in
Oh Mama, what am I gonna do
She said, "Child there's only one thing you can do"

Don't worry 'bout nothing
Let it go, see what tomorrow brings
Don't worry 'bout nothing
Pray about everything
Pray about everything

Love is blind, fate don't care
Lose your grip
And your balloons go sailing off into the air
Oh Mama, what am I gonna do
She said, "Child,there's only one thing you can do"

Don't worry 'bout nothing
Let it go, see what tomorrow brings
Don't worry 'bout nothing
Pray about everything
Pray about everything

Yeah take a walk, take a breath,oh give it all a rest
Take a cane pole to the fishing hole and catch a couple fish
And just like that toss'em back and make a little wish

Don't worry 'bout nothing
Let it go, see what tomorrow brings
Don't worry 'bout it stress about it, fret about it
Don't worry 'bout nothing
Let it go, see what tommorrow brings
Don't worry 'bout nothing
Pray about everything
Yeah, pray about everything

5

We Rode In Trucks

Down where I was born was heaven on earth.
The Flint River washes that red Georgia dirt.
The sun sets slow and the stars shine bright.
We raised cotton, corn, a little cane, and kids.
You either lived on a farm or wish you did.
Jesus always walked close by our side.
Where I grew up, we rode in trucks.

There's a lot about life you can learn on a bus,
How to lie, how to fight, how to kiss, how to cuss.
The closer we sat to the back, the smarter we got.
We were poor, we were ugly, we were all best friends.
Wide-eyed, baptized, and still wantin' to sin.
Thank God we get more than just one shot.
Where I grew up, we rode in trucks.

That's us, haulin' hay in the field with the radio on.
That's us, headin' straight into town when the work was done.
In my mind, I can still see us now, ridin' down Buck Island Road.
It wasn't that long ago.

We thought tobacco and beer in a can
Was all it would take to be like our old man.
But I saw how it made my momma cry.
It was huntin' and fishin' and football games.
Then it was girls, and everything changed, in our lives,
Fallin' in and out of love, we rode in trucks.

That's us with our tailgates down in the parking lot.
That's us with mud on our tires when it rained a lot.
In my mind, I can still see us now, ridin' down Buck Island Road.
It wasn't that long ago, it's apart of my soul. Yeah.

Down where I was born, was heaven on earth.
The Flint River washes that red Georgia dirt.
The sun sets slow and the stars shine bright.

Where I grew up, we rode in trucks.

6

I'll Stay Me

T-shirt, blue jeans don't like much on TV
Caviar and a Triscut ain't no redeye gravy on a biscut.
My deep Southern drawl makes the conversation crawl
You're gonna have to hang around long enough to hear me out.
Some folks aren't happy like they are.
Some wanna take things just a little too far.

Singers wanna be Hollywood actors
And millionaires wanna ride old farm tractors
I am just what I am, I'm just what you see.
So I'll make it easy, I'll stay me.

My granny and pawpaw still missing Hee Haw
I love my little town where the people don't let you down
There's a girl down the street got a kiss just waitin on me
Hot dog sweet potato fries when I go over tonight.
She knows exactly who I am
A soft touchin' her love loving, hard working man.

Quarterbacks wanna play lead guitar
And supermodels want smaller body parts
Change is good sometimes, but I still believe
I'm gonna make it easy, I'll stay me.

I'll stay me, I'm gonna make it easy, I'll stay me.

7

First Love Song

Ridin' down the road listenin' to the radio
You leaned over and you turned it up
You said, "Baby this is it,
The one I wanted you to hear.
Don't it sound just like us?"

Up 'til then, all I'd ever listened to was
a little "Sweet Home...," "Tuesday's Gone,"
and "Working Man Blues."

This is my first love song
First time I felt the words
First time I sang along
Whenever it comes on
I just think of you and everything you do
You're my one, my from-now-on
My first love song

Baby I'm not who I was
You gave me your love and it woke me up,
made me more aware of somethin' deep inside
Somethin' that I have,
A life I want to share
And I'll rememebr this as long as I live
Every note, every word, every single kiss

This is my first love song
First time I felt the words,
First time I sang along
Whenever it comes on,
I just think of you and everything you do
You're my one, my from now on...
My first love song

Baby...
This is my first love song
First time I felt the words
First time I sang along
Whenever it comes on
I just think of you and everything you do
You're my one, my from-now-on
My first love song

Yeah baby
My first love song

8

Country Man

You need hands, rough not soft
To come and warm you up up in that cold hayloft
Let me hold you little darling in my big strong arms
Can't get these kind of muscles anywhere but a farm

Hey I'm a country man a city boy can't do the things I can
I can grow my own groceries and salt cure a ham
Hey baby I'm a country man

I've got a jeep with camouflage seats
That way nobody sees us parked back up in these trees
Your little i-pod loaded down with Hoobastank
Don't be a tape player hater girl were cruising to Hank

Hey I'm a country man a city boy can't do the things I can
I can hot wire your tractor and plow up your land
Hey baby I'm a country man

You like the ivy league hum-v tennis sweater type
But girl I'm here to tell you don't believe the hype

Hey I'm a country I can wrestle hogs and gators with my two bare hands
Girl you better move quick I'm in high demand
Hey baby I'm a country man

Hey I'm a country man
huntin me a good ol' country girlfriend
Why don't you come and join me in my new deer stand
Hey baby I'm a country man
Hey baby I'm a country man

9

Over the River

There's a bonfire burning.
Got Bocephus blaring louder than allowed out in our neck of the neighborhood.
If you wanna see follow me over the river through the woods.

When the bugs and the beer start biting
Theres bound to be some friendly fighting
Usually little Becky Lee winds up jumpin up on somebodys hood
Don't she dance good?
Join the crowd gather round
Over the river through the woods.

Just follow my tail lights out past the streetlights a left then a hard right
They're goin all night
We'll do a little what we want after one long week of doin what we should.
Over the river and through the woods

At first I thought she was kiddin when she mentioned skinny dipping.
She said follow me through the trees yes siree unless I misunderstood.
We'll splash and splish with the fish over the river and through the woods.

Thats my beer can next to her beer can next to my work pants up there on dry land.
We'll do a little what we want after one long week of doin what we should.
Over the river and through the woods.

Thats my sore head layin in my truck bed eyes blood shot red hearing what my mamma said.
But we did a little what we want after one long week of doing what we should.
over the river and through the woods.

Over the river and through the woods.

10

You Make Me Want To

You make me want to hold you like a hammock on a summer day
Tell you how I'm gonna take your cares away
You make me want to
You make me want to roll down the river and around the bend
Love you like a story with a happy ending
You make me want to

You can blame it on my southern boy ways
Why I'm always running away
I don't know if I can ever change
But you make me want to
You make me want to

You make me want to hang up the phone ride across town
Walk through you door and lay it down
Kiss you 'til you feel the truth
You make me want to

You can blame it on my southern boy ways
Why I'm always running away
I don't know if I can ever change
But you make me want to
You make me want to

Well I never met a girl like you
That's got me thinking like I do
To hang up my hat and kick off my boots
But you make me want to
You make me want to

You make me want to
Baby you make me want to

11

Tackle Box

It was two shades of brown, scratched-up plastic.
It held extra line, lures, hooks, and matches.
And his last name engraved in black,
Right there by the handle on the top.
I'd slide it out of the back of his station wagon.
Lug it down the bank with my arm draggin'.
And I could hardly wait for him
To lift the lid on that tackle box.

'Cause I'd sail with him across the South Pacific.
Stand beside him on the bow of that battleship.
See him kiss the ground and thank the good Lord Jesus.
And watch him run to Grandma, cryin' on the dock.
He opened up, every time he opened up
That old tackle box.

He'd bait my hook and keep on tellin' stories
'Bout nickel Cokes, girls, and sandlot glories.
Pickup trucks and golden fields
Long before this town knew blacktop.

I was almost ridin' with him shotgun down those dirt roads
Takin' turns on a jug of homemade shine
As he raced his buddies down through Mason Holler
Fillin' the sky with dust and kicked up rocks
He opened up, every time he opened up
That old tackle box.

He's been gone twenty years tomorrow
And I'm still holdin' on to one wish
That God above could let me borrow Grandpa
For one more afternoon and one more fish.

And I'd sail with him across the South Pacific.
Stand beside him on the bow of that battleship.
See him kiss the ground and thank the good Lord Jesus.
And watch him run to Grandma, cryin' on the dock.
He'd open up, every time he opened up
That old tackle box.

Everything he loved he kept locked up in that old tackle box.

It was two shades of brown scratched up plastic.