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