My family’s a mess, but it’s one I’ll clean
Cause under our sin, we’re bound to gleam
We’re all dyin’, one way or another
But you can bet your life we’ll die as brothers
Cause my tree’s dry, there’s no doubt
But two strong feet and I’ll reach the spout

My Uncle’s are goin’, be it drinkin’ or cancer
And to tell you the truth, I don’t have no answer
As to why or when these fine folks are bound
So I just keep my head up and stand my ground

My Daddy’s gone haggard, worked to the bone
I can tell he’s hurt, but it’s not shown
When Momma left, it hit him hard
But he’s still goin’, just a little scarred

November 26th, Momma finally lost it
She got up to that line, and darn near crossed it
See, four stories is a long way to fall
But I guess it don’t seem like much once you’ve lost it all
And as I found recently, she’s done this before
A rope and a chair, and a shut basement door

Grandpas on both ends aren’t doin’ too well,
a stroke and a fall can really be hell
And when work’s all you know, and you can’t work the land
It’s gotta be tough to keep an idle hand

These last five months have felt like forever
And looking back now, it was quite the endeavor
But a man who can’t walk his family’s hot coals
Is a man of weakness, a man of soft soles