Mean (M 8) - 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 till dusk with an aching back
Hammer in hand, trying to toe 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
Callous hands and bloodshot eyes
I don't tolerate smoke with no fire
I walk a fine line through mud and wire
She calls me mean, but I do care
Cause I'm still here
And that's rare
Every other will 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 a 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
Callous 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
She calls me mean, but I don't care
Cause I'm still here
And that's rare
Every other will 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
Callous hands and bloodshot eyes
I don't tolerate smoke with no fire
I walk a fine line, boots in the brier
She calls me mean, but I don't care
Cause I'm still here
And that's rare
Every other will 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 leaks
The more you talk, the less you say
I show my love in nuts and bolts
And fill a 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
Callous hands and bloodshot eyes
I don't tolerate smoke with no fire
I walk a fine line through life's barbed wire
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 fateful day
Back yonder way, and on another day
