Mean (M 2) - Conrad Mortiss
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
I walk a fine line through mud and wire
Yes, 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
I walk a fine line through mud and wire
Yes, 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 rhymes
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 through mud and wire
Yes, 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
Well, talking don't fix the leak
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
Yes, she calls me mean, but I do care
Cause I'm still here, and that's rare
Love her I do, till death do us part
Like I said in church on that faithful day back yonder way
And on another year
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
