4th Place | “Redneck With a Blue Collar”

March/April 2009 Lyric Contest
“Redneck With a Blue Collar”
Written by David W. Regan
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA

I hadn’t finished high school when she made me a dad,
But did right by my lover and the son we had.
We couldn’t take no chances with a baby to feed,
So I chose the fact’ry over schoolin’ just to make ends meet.
I’ve been workin’ by the hour for nearly forty years,
Scrapin’ out a livin’ stayin ahead of my fears.
‘Fore sleepin’ each night I hit my knees and pray,
God bless my home and fam’ly and the U.S.A.

CHORUS:
Cause I’m a redneck with a blue collar
Do a hard day’s work for an honest dollar.
Never got the fancy office or the big time pay,
And I still take my shower at the end of the day.

Sent our boy off to college to escape my daily grind,
I said get an education to find some peace of mind.
Don’t follow in my footsteps my future’s plain to see.
The pension I got comin’ won’t ever set me free.
Our boy’s long gone since graduated and found a corporate job.
His title and the money might make another kid a snob,
But I ain’t worried ‘bout our son, he’ll never lose his way,
Since he learned from his daddy to bring it ev’ry day.

CHORUS

And when I face St. Peter, I know just what he’ll say.
Real work is such a virtue, of course we’ll let you stay.
The good Lord and the angels will surely welcome you,
‘Cause even up in heaven we need hard workers too.
I reckon they’ll still look to me to shoulder the load.
It won’t be any different than my earthly road.
I’ve never been a slacker as I’ve run life’s race,
So I’ll keep workin’ by the hour when I’ve left this place.

CHORUS