That steel
was cold and hard
when they slapped him on my wrist
Seventeen headed straight to jail,
drunk on half a fifth
But daddy drove down to the jailhouse
Said, I ain't gonna bail you out
Between these steel bars
and mama's broken heart
Here's something you can think about
He said, an idiot man by
his own two hands
Bring a hurricane on himself
Got too much pride
to lift his eyes up to heaven
I went to my best friend's funeral
He left a wife and two young kids
I guess his reasons for dyin'
Got bigger than his reason to live
That preacher's voice faded
Into rain and tears that day
Until all I heard were my
daddy's words
As we gathered around the grave
He said, a minion man by
his own two hands
Bring a hurtin' on himself
Got too much pride to lift his eyes
up to heaven for a little help
Now everybody needs forgiveness
But even a good man fails
The good Lord's building mansions
The devil's just driving nails
I heard a story about a carpenter
And a tear rolled down my face
I saw that cross and God's only son
With his hands nailed to the wood
And I thought of the years
it brought me here
When I fi nally understood
How a mini man by his own two hands
Bring a hurtin' on himself
The greatest gift that a man can give
Is dyin' for someone else
Now everybody gets forgiveness
Cause even a good man fails
The good Lord's building mansions
The devil's just driving nails
Yeah, the good Lord's building mansions
The devil's just driving nails
You