I can tell my mama's short on loving me
I guess that's why she let me go so far
Mama tried to stop me short of stealing
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
The only hell my mama ever raised
Well, I rolled into Atlanta,
stolen tags and almost out of gas
lately I'd learned how to get it fast
Those neon lights was calling 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 ol' days'
Let me hear my men and sing,
'Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me'
She tried to turn me on to Jesus,
but I turned on to the devil's ways
The only hell my mama ever raised
When they put put them handcuffs on me,
Lord how I fought to resist
But a gent clamped clamped 'em tighter,
'til that metal bit into my wrist
They took my belt and my billfold,
my fingerprints, and the profile of my face
And then they locked away
the only hell my mama ever raised
And I'd say 'Precious memories',
take me back to the good ol' days'
Let me hear my men and sing,
'Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me'
She tried to turn me on to Jesus,
but I turned on to the devil's ways
The only hell my mama ever raised
