My mama 'n' papa told me son that you're just a fool   when I told 'em I was leaving home I was leaving school    So then in a couple of hours I found myself    heading down that southbound road   with everything I owned on my back    I carried such a heavy load      And it's a hard, hard road that I travel    It's a hard, hard road that I travel    It's a hard, hard road that I travel down the line   And it's a hard, hard road down the line      Well I wanna tell ya friends    that it's good to be a traveling man   'Cause I'm doing what I want to    Living just the best that I can   Nobody putting rings around my neck    To put me in a pigeon hole   I've got my dog and my radio    to listen to some rock 'n' roll      And it's a hard, hard road that I travel    It's a hard, hard road that I travel    It's a hard, hard road that I travel down the line   And it's a hard, hard road down the line