Ten pairs of boots ago

Co-op, seven years old

Got 'em with room to grow

'cause daddy told me so.

If I wasn't jake the snake in 'em

I was damn john wayne in 'em

By the time I turned eight in 'em

Thought I was grown as I was only.

Eight pairs of boots ago

Halfway past twelve years old

Baptist-church-stained-glass glow

I went down to save my soul.

Man, I swore I felt a call in 'em

I was gonna walk the walk in 'em

I never touched alcohol in 'em

But like them justins, messed that up, just

Six pairs of boots ago.

Eighteen, met jack and coke

Then tore off down that road

Hard head as them steel toes

Left under a bed left cold.

A different girl every night in 'em

And I was kickin' out the lights in 'em

Devil walkin' by my side in 'em

The next four pairs just led me nowhere.

Two pairs of boots ago

She said it's mine, she knows

I damn near dropped the phone

I thought my life was gone.

And I was thinkin' "oh, damn" in 'em

Had to face god's plan in 'em

But I became a man in 'em

Came full circle, found my purpose.

One pair of boots ago

Co-op with my four-year-old

I said, "leave room to grow."

I know how that story goes.