Barely Getting By

[Verse 1]
Clock says five
but it feels like midnight
Boots on the floor
back screaming from last night
Coffee gone cold
while the engine warms up
Kiss your picture on the fridge
then I pray it’s enough
[Chorus]
I’m working myself to the bone
just to keep these lights on
Patchin’ holes in this old roof
where the rain keeps pouring down
Every dollar disappears
like smoke in the sky
I’m so damn tired, Lord
and I’m barely getting by
[Verse 2]
Boss shakes his head
says “son, times are tough”
Funny how he says that
from a truck that costs enough
Hands full of splinters
and a check that comes up short
I fold it in my wallet
like a guilty little secret I can’t afford
[Chorus]
I’m working myself to the bone
just to keep these lights on
Patchin’ holes in this old roof
where the rain keeps pouring down
Every dollar disappears
like smoke in the sky
I’m so damn tired, Lord
and I’m barely getting by
[Bridge]
Some nights I wonder
is this all there is
These busted knuckles, empty cupboards
and a stack of past-due slips
But I hold on to your picture
like a promise in the dark
If I lose that hope
I’ll lose my heart (oh)
[Chorus]
I’m working myself to the bone
just to keep these lights on
Patchin’ holes in this old roof
where the rain keeps pouring down
Every dollar disappears
like smoke in the sky
I’m so damn tired, Lord
yeah, I’m barely getting by

country, Slow, tear-stained country ballad with male vocals, brushed snare and soft upright bass, mournful pedal steel weaving around a worn acoustic guitar. Vocal sits upfront and raw, verses hushed and intimate; chorus swells with subtle harmonies and a touch of churchy organ. Overall energy is low and aching, perfect for late-night drives on empty highways., slow, male vocals, sad