Mean (M 3) - Conrad Mortiss
Yeah, she calls me mean
But I call it Monday
And Tuesday
And every day that ends in a Y
My wife says I'm so mean
But she don't know the half I've seen
I rise with the sun, the rooster's late
Coffee's cold or burnt
But that's my fate
Lunch made late, work to dusk
With an aching back, hammer in hand
Trying to tow that line, grind all day
To make ends meet and to pay for everything
She tells me I don't smile
I do
But it takes a while
She calls me mean, but I'm still here
Breaking my back year after year
I don't complain, I just get by
Calloused hands and bloodshot eyes
I don't tolerate smoke with no fire
Walk a fine line through mud and wire
Yeah, she calls me mean, but I do care
Cause I'm still here
And that's fair
Every other would be gone by now
And she should know
She got no time for me
But plenty for everyone else
That's just my fate
She says you never smile no more
Well honey, my face is sore
You try hauling lumber in 90 degrees or 10 below
You'll be frowning too
Just like me
The bills pile up, the truck won't start
But I still show up with this stubborn heart
She calls me mean, but I'm still here
Sweating through summer, freezing through the winter
Every year I don't complain
I just get by
Calloused hands and bloodshot eyes
Lack of sleep and no break
I don't tolerate smoke with no fire
Walk a fine line through mud and wire
Yeah, she calls me mean, but I don't care
Cause I'm still here
And that's rare
Every other would be gone by now
And she should know
She got no time for me
But plenty for everyone else
That's just my fate
Now I ain't no saint but I ain't no fool
I fix the fence and pump the fuel
She says I'm cold
But baby, please
That's just the wind blowing through my jeans
She says I'm gruff, I'm rough, I'm tough
But soft ain't never paid enough
I ain't the poet with flowers and rhyme
But I pay the bills right on time
So let her fuss, I'll crack a grin
She loves this mean man deep within
Perhaps
She calls me mean, but I'm still here
Been working hard for 20 years
I don't complain, I just get by
Calloused hands and bloodshot eyes
I don't tolerate smoke with no fire
I walk a fine line boots in the briar
Yeah, she calls me mean, but I don't care
Cause I'm still here
And that's rare
Every other would be gone by now
And she should know
She got no time for me
But plenty for everyone else
That's just my fate
Now she says I grunt more than I speak
Talking don't fix leaks
The more you talk, the less you say
I show my love in nuts and bolts
And fill her tank before it jolts
I'm gruff, I'm rough, but deep inside
That woman's still my favorite ride
I ain't got charm, I ain't got flair
But I'll build her porch and rocking chair
If that's mean, then so be it, dear
Cause I'm still here, year after year
She calls me mean, but I'm still here
Drinking cold beer, scratching my ear
I don't complain, I just get by
Calloused hands and bloodshot eyes
I don't tolerate smoke with no fire
I walk a fine line through life's barbed wire
Yeah, she calls me mean, but I do care
Cause I'm still here
And that's rare
Love her I do, to death do us part
Like I said in church on that faithful day
Back yonder way and on another year
Yeah, she calls me mean
But she knows what she's got
Mean's just my way of saying I love you
Kind of
And as long as she keeps cooking
I'll keep staying mean
For I'm better at that too
What a hoot
