well I woke up this morning 
and I made a resolution, 
I said "never going to sing another sad song again."

I decided I'd admit it, 
I'm not an intellectual, 
though the words never come easy unless I'm singing 
them, 
and the hills that I was born in will never leave me no 
matter how hard I try.

and then my brother was murdered 
while my father was in prison, 
and the girl that I sometimes loved up and moved away, 
and my body filled up with blackness, and the darkness 
it wanted to drown me, and I heard my father's 
footsteps catching up to me, 
and he took me by the shoulders and he said "son, my 
hands are strong, but I hope you have the strength to 
shake us free, shake us free boy, shake us free my son, 
you better shake us free."

(breakdown)

and now I'm lying in the van,
chicago in the springtime,
and the rain outside was falling sounds just like 
popcorn,
but before I open my eyes I think I make this 
resolution, "no I'm never gonna sing another sad song 
for as long as I live"

and the light coming through the windows is making 
everything glow
and he took me by the shoulders and he said "son my 
hands are strong, but I hope you have the strength to 
shake us free, shake us free, shake us free, shake us 
free my son."
I made a resolution
I made a resolution
I made a resolution
I made a resolution