I'm a long country mile from bein' in style Dirty hat and cowboy boots I cut my teeth on them old outlaw songs My daddy used to listen to Guess it's in my genes I gotta be me Yeah, I say what I think But sometimes I drink And when I do, I drink too much Wind up on my back My eyes shinin' black And I know it's all because, bad as it might be Hey, I gotta be me You can wind me up an dine me You can polish up and shine me But the real thing's gonna shine through It ain't always pretty, but the cowboy in me Couldn't change if he wanted Yeah, I had a girl, her name was Pearl I think she's up in Arkansas She raised her voice and gave me a choice 'Tween singin' in a Honkeytonk or a J-O-B And as you can see, I gotta be me Yeah, you can wine me up and dine me You can polish up an shine me But the real thing's gonna shine through It ain't always pretty but the cowboy in me Couldn't change if he wanted to Yeah, I'm a rusty old truck you see out front 'Tween the Lexis and the Coupe de Ville The one of a kind, that some try to find Some are hopin' that they never will Still I do my thing 'Cause I gotta be me Yeah, like it or not, this is all I got And I gotta be me