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, yeah, yeah
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, yeah

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 travelling 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, yeah

Nobody gonna put things 'round my neck
Or buy me no pigeon hole
I've got my dog and my radio
To listen to some rock 'n' roll, now listen

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
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, woo
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, yeah
Get out of here