Man Like Me

Walk out of an alley with a bloody dollar bill Holdin' your lunch money that no bully's gonna steal Put that dime left over with the others in a box To buy your grandpa a new Buck knife to replace the one you lost Steal your daddy's Pontiac and plant it in a ditch Watch him walk to work all week till he could get it fixed Work it off on the weekends sweatin' in a mill Go there with a debt to pay and leave there with a skill That's how you make a boy become More than just his father's son Fight and crawl, climb and fall, stand tall on your knees That's how you make a man like me Pick up that telephone you wish you never heard Take the longest two mile drive you ever took to her Wait as she takes that test 'cause you just couldn't wait And taste bittersweet victory when she says, "We're okay" Let your buddy leave a party, and don't ask him for his keys Rest that casket on the shoulder where your best friend used to lean See that baby boy's whole life flash right before his mama's eyes Live with knowin' you could've saved his life That's how you make a boy become More than just his father's son Fight and crawl, climb and fall, stand tall on your knees That's how you make a man like me Kick your self for stumblin', but never leave your feet Lie awake with your mistakes and find peace, piece by piece Pray that you wake up as who you want to be That's how you make a man like me You walk proud in the shoes, who no one wants to be That's how you make a man like me