Chicago Raised Me - Judi Jai

I was eight and he was late in life But still as sharp as that old Case knife That lives inside the pocket of his working shirt They never made a car he couldn't fix They never spent long up on bricks Always charged a little less than he was worth Ain't too many like him on this earth People say I'm like my dad Hey, I can't argue with that After all we're both cut from that same Carhartt canvas cloth So if we look you in the eye and shake your hand too tight Well, the truth is we're both trying to be Like the man who raised the man who raised me He took and taught me how to cast a line And the way to say grace at suppertime And how to handle and respect a loaded gun Heard the war made Grandpa tough Guess the grandkids softened him up 'Cause he never really was that hard on us Nothing like my aunts and uncles claim he was People say I'm like my dad Hey, I can't argue with that After all we're both cut from that same Carhartt canvas cloth So if we look you in the eye and shake your hand too tight Well, the truth is we're both trying to be Like the man who raised the man who raised me How to keep and treat a woman And cherish fifty years of moments People say I'm like my dad Hey, I can't argue with that After all we're both cut from that same Carhartt canvas cloth And when that sad day rolls around and he's lowered in the ground I hope they all can look at me and see The man who raised the man who raised me He raised me

Lord knows, I've tried to paint that town every shade of red There's a lotta whiskey bottles and skeletons I broke more hearts than the strings on my guitar But one was gold and damn sure wouldn't bend She saw her baby in the crazy Her child in the wild She brought me in this world and kept me here Five foot five, full of grace, full of pride She saw me coming a mile away So far from heaven, no chance I would get in She didn't see me that way Oh, the devil only knows the sinner I would be But mama raised the hell out of me Yeah, mama raised the hell right out of me Curly phone cable, leaving tears on the table Saying, "what did my boy do this time?" Yeah, she could have hung up or gave up Said she was fed up But she looked up and prayed to Jesus the whole drive Yeah, that devil downstairs Sure tried hard to get me there But he didn't stand a chance against Five foot five, full of grace, full of pride She saw me coming a mile away So far from heaven, no chance I would get in She didn't see me that way Oh, the devil only knows the sinner I would be But mama raised the hell out of me Yeah, mama raised the hell right out of me She saw her baby in the crazy Her child in the wild She brought me in this world and kept me here Five foot five, full of grace, full of pride She saw me coming a mile away So far from heaven, no chance I would get in She didn't see me that way Oh, the devil only knows the sinner I would be But mama raised the hell out of me Yeah, mama raised the hell right out of me Ooh, right out of me

Ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah You are my love and my life And you are my inspiration Just you 'n' me Simple and free Baby, you're everything I've ever dreamed of Yeah, yeah Give me your own special smile Promise you'll never leave me Just you 'n' me Simple and free Life is so easy When you're beside me Oh, girl Come hold me close, yeah Never release me Oh, baby, don't release me Open your arms, let my love in Let me in, let me in, let me in Love me tonight, yeah Love me forever and ever You know I can't forget you Just you 'n' me to carry on Simple and free my lovely To flow as one as love's reward Lovin' you girl is so damn easy Yeah, yeah You are my love and my life You are my inspiration Just you 'n' me Simple and free Ooh, baby, you're everything I've ever dreamed of Yeah, yeah