If the 4-H club and the FFA
Were the only local gangs
Where you grew up
If the grocery store was an eight mile ride
And your mailman drove from the passenger side
Of his own truck
And if you know the melody
And all the words to 'Love Left to Me"
And every Baptist hymn, that's ever been sung
Then you know where I'm comin' from
Did you ever wish that you'd never been born
A hoeing weeds in a field of corn
While summer passed you by
Have you ever heard a pressure cooker scream
While your Mom and Granny canned greenbeans
In mid-July
Or if you remember how it felt
The sting of truth from a leather belt
If your Daddy made you pay for what you'd done
Then you know where I'm coming from
You know exactly how it feels
To catch a flathead on a Zebco reel
And how your buddy's gonna laugh
If he gets off
And you know how green alfalfa smells
And how that hayloft gets as hot as hell
And how your muscles burn
With every bail you toss
And if you grew up in a place
Where you couldn't eat 'til you said Grace
Whatever Mama cooked, ya ate ya some
Then you know where I'm comin' from
When you turned 16 did you start to feel
That small-town livin' wasn't no big deal
You couldn't wait to leave
Did you pack your car with all you had
Say goodbye to Mom and Dad
And chase your dreams
Did you ever wake up in the dead of night
Sweatin' to the heat of the city lights
And swear if you could go back
You would run
Then you know where I'm comin' from
When I say yes sir and thank you ma'am
Right away you understand
A lot about the way that I was raised
A simple man who still believes
That hard work, faith and family
Are virtues we could use more of these days
And common sense is in short supply
The criminals have all the rights
And I'll die before I let 'em take my guns
Then you know where I'm comin' from
Do you know where I'm comin' from?