I can't sell my mama's
short on lovin' me.
I guess that's why she let me go so far.
Mama tried to stop me short of stealin'.
I guess that's why I had to steal that car.
She told me not to smoke it,
but I did, and it took me far away
And I turned out to be
the only hell my mama ever raised
Well, I rode into Atlanta,
stolen taxin' almost out of gas
I had to get some money
Lately, I'd learned how to get it fast
Old Neon Lights was callin' me
And somehow I just had to get downtown
So I reached into the glove box
Another liquor store went down
And I said, precious memories,
take me back to the good old days
Let me hear my mama singing,
a rock of ages clipped for me
She tried to turn me on to Jesus,
but I turned on to the devil's ways
And I turned out to be,
the only hell my mama ever raised
Well, put them handcuffs on me
Lord, how I fought to resist
But they just clamped them tighter
Till that metal bit into my wrists
They took my belt and my billfold,
my fingerprints and the profile of my face
And then they locked away
the only hill my mama ever raised
And I said, precious memory,
take me back to the good old days
She tried to turn me on to Jesus,
but I turned on to the devil's ways
And I turned out to be
the only hell my mama ever raised
She tried to turn me on to Jesus,
but I turned on to the devil's ways
And I turned out to be,