That Old Man Of Mine - Vince Gill

Man, the meanest bastard I’d ever seen

Was that old man of mine

The back of his hand and a little Jim Beam

Kept us all in line

Well, my poor mama lived in fear

Damn near all the time

The Lord says we all got a cross to bear

That old man was mine

It didn’t take much to piss him off

And he’d be on the tear

I’m still haunted by the bruises

We all had to wear

Well, late one evenin' on a cold dark night

I heard my mama cry

Everything inside me

Just wanted him to die

Well, I called him out and said, «I've had enough

Let’s settle this outside»

He said, «Son, you think you’re tough

Had this comin' for a long, long time»

He got both hands around my throat

Was chokin' me to death

Well, I saw evil in his eyes

And smelled the devil’s breath

And one thing he never thought about

That pistol in my jeans

I put every bullet in him

That night in Abilene

My mama lied and said she did it

But on the Bible, she came clean

And every night she prays for me

From cell block seventeen

I wear this number on my back

It suits me just find

God knows he had it comin'

It’s worth the ninety-nine

I never have felt guilty

Not one single time

The Lord says we all got a cross to bear

That old man was mine

Yeah, the Lord says we all got a cross to bear

That old man was mine