There was a man I used to pass

On my way into town

He was covered in dirt like the world had beat him down

I often wondered how he ended up like that

So one day, drivin' home, I pulled over to asked

I said, "Man, where'd it all go wrong? "

He said, "Son, do you really wanna know? "

My daddy left for another woman, moved off to L. A

My mama fought hard against that cancer

She died when I was eight

I finished school, my country shipped me off to war

When I came home, my whole world didn't love me anymorе

It's hard to see all that when you're drivin' by

So I just write down, "Jеsus Saves"

'Cause there ain't no way I can fit that on a sign

I can't fit that on a sign

I took him to a diner, I bought him a cup of coffee

He asked me if he could bum a couple dollars off me

He told me his story, I told mine

He said

"Thanks 'cause most folks around here

Would never take the time"

He said

"I lost my job down at the mill when that factory closed

Army stopped sendin' me them checks

The bank took everything I own"

Hitchhiked my way up to Chicago

The nights were too damn cold

I hopped a train, headed West

'cause I had nowhere else to go

It's hard to see all that drivin' by

So I just write down, "Jesus Saves"

'Cause there ain't no way I can fit that on a sign

There ain't no way to fit that on a sign

I probably would've wrote down a little more

If I could've find a bigger piece of cardboard

My brother Walter was my hero

But he was bad to drink

One night, he laid his Harley down

Near that Ohio Riverbank

Me and my ex wife tried for kids when we were datin'

Hell, we even had baby names picked out

But little Walter didn't make it

It's hard to see all that just drivin' by

So I just write down, "Jesus Saves"

'Cause there ain't no way I can fit that on a sign

I can't fit all that on a sign