Mud on My Shoes

Lyrics

[Intro] Ain’t much in this room but a chair and a flame Still I came with a pocket full of weather and a name [Verse 1] I woke where the floorboards count every step Coffee gone cold, but the mind ain’t slept Got a coat on the nail and a bill by the door Still I walk like I’ve been here before My old six-string got one good string But it tells the truth when the cheap bells ring I put two coins down on a rusted table Turned hard luck into something stable [Chorus] I got mud on my shoes, dust on my sleeve Ain’t asking for mercy, I’m asking to breathe If the road takes a toll, let it take what it takes I’ll be dealing my hand while the whole floor shakes [Verse 2] No silver spoon, just a chipped blue cup No easy road ever picked me up I learned from the rain on a tin roof pitch And the neighbor’s dog with a stubborn itch Every bruise kept time, every loss left a mark I carried both home when I walked through the dark Now the words come sharp like a pocketknife blade Cut a little daylight through the mess I made [Chorus] I got mud on my shoes, dust on my sleeve Ain’t asking for mercy, I’m asking to breathe If the road takes a toll, let it take what it takes I’ll be dealing my hand while the whole floor shakes [Bridge] Tell that old train I’m not ready to leave There’s a fire in the yard and a debt to retrieve Let the slide guitar cry, let the backbeat knock I’ve been low before, but I’m still on the clock [Verse 3] I know every cracked curb, every late-night store Every friend who said never, then came back for more We don’t need a crown, we don’t need a parade Just a clean little chance for the plans we made So raise that cup, let the cheap wood ring Let the room get loud when the hard days sing I came from the dust, but the dust ain’t the end I’m still writing my name where the broken boards bend [Chorus] I got mud on my shoes, dust on my sleeve Ain’t asking for mercy, I’m asking to breathe If the road takes a toll, let it take what it takes I’ll be dealing my hand while the whole floor shakes [Outro] One string singing, one shoe worn through Still got a road, still got something to prove When the morning comes knocking, I’ll answer the same With a little more dirt and a little less shame