Gravel in Our Shoes

Lyrics

[Verse 1] The landlord taped a warning to the peeling kitchen door Mama counted coins beside the sink, then counted once more I learned to patch a tire with a borrowed jack and thread And keep the worst news quiet till the little ones were fed [Pre-Chorus] Some days the only promise was the coffee running thin But every time the world said stop, we found a way to begin [Chorus] This life has been a hard road, gravel in our shoes A pocket full of no’s and a thousand things to lose But I’m still here, still breathing, still reaching for the dawn You can bend me with the burden, but you can’t keep me gone This life has been a hard road, but I know where I belong I carry all the broken days and turn them into song [Verse 2] There was winter in the bedroom and a crack beneath the glass Dad took a second shift and watched the good years hurry past I left town with a suitcase and a five-dollar bill Found a room above a laundromat and learned to pay the till [Pre-Chorus] I’ve worn out every welcome, I’ve slept beside the rain Still, the hands that held me up have taught me how to stand again [Chorus] This life has been a hard road, gravel in our shoes A pocket full of no’s and a thousand things to lose But I’m still here, still breathing, still reaching for the dawn You can bend me with the burden, but you can’t keep me gone This life has been a hard road, but I know where I belong I carry all the broken days and turn them into song [Bridge] If you’re sitting at the table with your head down in your hands If the future looks like water slipping through the sand Take my word, the night is long, but morning keeps its place There’s a fire in the ordinary, and mercy in the days [Final Chorus] This life has been a hard road, gravel in our shoes A pocket full of no’s and a thousand things to lose But we’re still here, still breathing, still reaching for the dawn You can bend us with the burden, but you can’t keep us gone This life has been a hard road, now listen to us sing We carry all the broken days and make them mean something [Outro] The landlord took the warning down, the paint is still worn thin But there’s bread upon the table, and we’re beginning again