[Intro] (engine turns over, clean guitar picks in) Yep. That'll do. [Verse 1] Got a coat with too many pockets Got a wrench I don't talk about [Bridge] (organ swells, drums drop to kick and tambourine) Some folks build hard and sell it harder Loud as a pickup with the muffler gone Some folks sell soft and there's nothing under it Pretty box, and the box is all you're gettin' Me, I figure — split the difference Talk like the garden, work like the shop A gear for the torque, a leaf for the customer And a truck that don't know how to stop (lap steel rises) Yeah. That's the whole philosophy. Ain't complicated. [Verse 3] So if you see me on the county road With the radio a little low Just a fella in a fancy coat Hauling parts and a pot of tomatoes Wave once, I'll wave back twice That's the salesman, that's for free But the thing that's holding all of it together Ain't the coat — it's me [Chorus — big, gang vocals] Sold soft, built hard That's the Kobb way, that's the brand Sweet on the porch, steel underneath A green thumb on a grease-stained hand S Got a sales pitch smooth as sweet corn And a handshake that don't wear out Folks say "Kobb, you talk real gentle" Yeah, well, gentle sells the deal But the thing you're buying, friend, I promise Is bolted, welded, sealed [Pre-Chorus] The leaf is how I greet ya The gear is how I stay Don't let the soft voice fool ya This one's built to run all day [Chorus] Sold soft, built hard That's the Kobb way, that's the brand Sweet on the porch, steel underneath A green thumb on a grease-stained hand Sold soft, built hard You can drive it till the pavement ends I'll shake on it easy, but I'll make it heavy Sold soft, built hard, my friends [Verse 2] Now the Merchant coat, it's velvet Got a little brass and a little bloom And it charms 'em down at the co-op Clears a whole dang auction room But I hang it on a nail by the workbench Roll the sleeves and take my time 'Cause a promise made in velvet Better hold up in the grime [Pre-Chorus] The leaf is how I greet ya The gear is how I stay Don't let the soft voice fool ya This one's built to run all day [Chorus] Sold soft, built hard That's the Kobb way, that's the brand Sweet on the porch, steel underneath A green thumb on a grease-stained hand Sold soft, built hard You can drive it till the pavement ends I'll shake on it easy, but I'll make it heavy Sold soft, built hard, my friends
