I&9ve been a waiter, a roofer, a clerk
I&9ve shoveled manure till my pride hurt
When you&9re starting out, it&9s all part of the work
To do what I do
I&9ve been evicted for not making rent
Made my Daddy wonder where my good sense went
For the price of a dream, my years have been spent
To do what I do
So I stand here tonight with this six string guitar
To be something I&9ve always been in my heart
Just for the chance to play you my song
The thrill when I hear you singing along
It&9s been worth everything I&9ve been through
To do what I do
I&9ve played for empty tables and chairs
The drunks that don&9t listen, the crowds that dont care
Been told countless times Boy you ain&9t goin&9 nowhere
To do what I do
So I hope the critics and skeptics alike
All bought a ticket to this show tonight
And they&9ll see firsthand that I have survived
And what doesn&9t kill you makes you more alive
And I&9m one of the fortunate few
To do what I do
There&9s so much joy this music can bring
So I count my blessings when I step up to sing
Cause they&9re so many people who would give anything
To do what I do
And I thank you
I can do what I do