Only fools would race down Gristmill Road   Let alone in angry weather   That's what I tell everyone I know   Now that I know better      That's a lesson I wish I would have learned   Without having to watch my Mustang burn   Before my best buddy had to wind up hurt   And his whole life was changed   That's a lesson I wish I didn't learn   The hard way      Only a fool would keep a diamond ring   In a box on the top of his closet   He came so close, he almost asked   It was right there in his pocket      That's a lesson I wish I would have learned   Before standing in the back row of that church   Watching her daddy givin' her   To the man who took my place   That's a lesson I wish I didn't learn   The hard way      Regrets been known to give a man a beatin'   But I ain't in the mood for fighting back this evening      Only fools don't take the time of day   They stay too busy running   To stop just once and tell their dad   Just how much they love him      That's a lesson I wish I would have learned   Before the phone call came and it was her   No, Mama never had to say a word   I knew it was too late   That's a lesson I wish I didn't learn   The hard way... The hard way   The hard way... The hard way