Don't talk crooked, honey, walk the straight and narrow My mama tried to teach me the rules She said, if Jesus Himself keeps his eye upon the sparrow Then surely He is watching you too Twenty-one years young, I rolled the hell's half-acre I really got to kicking up ground I was a mover and a shaker, a mean heart-breaker Now it's all coming back around Tell ya it's a hard living Broke down on the highway Burned out in an ashtray Hard living Empty as a bottle Right down to the bottom It's a hard living Singing Hallelujah, may I introduce ya? To ex-con, little old me Tangled and torn, I was trapped like a rabbit Thought the only crime was getting caught Now that I'm dressed in stripes, me and all my bad habits We got the time to give it some thought Living in the past has been a full-time occupation I've got a thing for talking to ghosts Never moving on can take an awful lot of patience And I'm a girl who's had the most Tell ya it's a hard living Broke down on the highway Burned out in an ashtray Hard living Empty as a bottle Right down to the bottom It's a hard living Singing Hallelujah, may I introduce ya To ex-con, little old me Singing Hallelujah, may I introduce ya To ex-con little old me Armed robbery and a high-speed chase The late night TV news anchors loved my face I served my time, but now the time has come For me to get back in my mama's good grace It's a hard living It's a hard living oh, oh, oh, oh Tell ya it's a hard living Tell ya it's a hard living Tell ya it's a hard living Broke down on the highway Burned out in an ashtray Hard living Empty as a bottle Right down to the bottom It's a hard living Singing Hallelujah, may I introduce ya To ex-con, little old me Singing Hallelujah, may I introduce ya To ex-con, little old me