You don’t know

I didn’t know hard till the dust knew my name

Till the sun burned mercy right outta the plains

I hadn’t seen hard, not the real kind before

Till the wind shut my back on every open door

Verse

I rode in green, with a soft hand and hope

Thought the world bent easy if you pulled the reins slow

But the trail taught quick with a cracked leather hand

Hard ain’t a lesson — hard’s the land

Chorus

You don’t know hard till hard’s all you know

When the night’s your shelter and the sky won’t let go

Never seen hard till you had no choice

Hard ain’t the road — hard’s the horse

Verse

Boots worn thin, got blood in the seams

Paid for my dreams in broken schemes

Every town left a mark on my face

Every mile took something I couldn’t replace

Bridge

When the well runs dry and the law won’t stay

You learn real fast what won’t ride away

A man don’t choose it, it chooses him

Hard sinks deep, right under the skin

Final Chorus

You don’t know hard till it’s all you ride

When the devil’s your shadow and hope’s tongue-tied

Never seen hard till it stared back at you

Hard ain’t the fight — hard is you

Outro

So if you see me pass with a tired old drawl

Don’t ask what broke me — hard did it all