Title: “The Hand He Was Dealt”

Title: “The Hand He Was Dealt” Verse 1 He was born in a house with a sagging tin roof On a stretch of red dirt no map could prove Daddy worked nights at the sawmill line Mama prayed hard over every dime He learned real quick how to hold his ground When you’ve got more bills than fields in town And the first thing his old man ever said “Son, you play life smart, not fast instead.” Chorus You don’t always win with the hand you’re dealt Sometimes you fold, sometimes you felt That river’s gonna rise, that wind’s gonna howl You stand up straight, you don’t back down When the cards turn cold and the luck runs dry You hold your word, you don’t ask why ’Cause a man ain’t measured by wealth or land But how he plays the hand he was dealt. Verse 2 At twenty-one he bought a diamond ring On a layaway dream and a pawn shop string Promised her a house up on Cedar Hill White fence, two kids, and a whippoorwill But the crops went bad and the bank came due And pride can break what love won’t do He packed his truck in the pouring rain Said, “I’ll come back better,” but he left in shame. Chorus Bridge Well years roll by like a freight train roar You miss a few stops you can’t restore He found himself in a neon haze Counting tips and wasted days Till one night an old man sat down slow Said, “Son, you can’t outrun what you owe You don’t fix the past with whiskey and smoke You fix it by going back home.” Verse 3 So he drove that road like a man set free Past rusted signs and memory Found her standing in the yard at dusk Same steady eyes, same stubborn trust He said, “I ain’t rich, but I’ve learned a thing About broken vows and wedding rings If there’s still a chair at your kitchen table I’ll earn my place if I’m able.” Final Chorus (Lift) You don’t always win with the hand you’re dealt But you can heal what you once felt That river may rise, that wind may howl But love stands firm when pride bows down When the cards turn cold and the luck runs dry You look her in the eye and try ’Cause a life ain’t judged by where you stand But how you play the hand you’re dealt. Tag (soft) Yeah, a man ain’t measured by wealth or land… But how he plays… The hand he was dealt.