I earn my keep! First light finds me at the gate, Gloves still stiff from yesterday Some roads I took because I could Some I didn’t get to choose I’ve bent my back against the wind, I’ve learned which way to lean I know the weight of what I carry And who that weight is for Don’t need a crown upon my head Don’t need a throne to call my own I’ve got a life that’s mine to build And every single day— I earn my keep Got work to finish before I sleep Some days run hard, some nights run deep But I wouldn’t trade the ground beneath my feet I earn my keep When the call comes in at half past two And the easy fix won’t hold I’ll take the time to make it right Even when nobody knows An easy chair, an endless noon Might sound like paradise, But I’d grow restless in that silence With nothing left to try There’s good in work that tests my hands And peace in knowing why Got my Baby waiting on me Underneath that same wide sky I earn my keep Got work to finish before I sleep Some days run hard, some nights run deep But I wouldn’t trade the ground beneath my feet I earn my keep Not a sheep behind the others, Not a wolf that needs to lead Just a dog with a mind of my own Standing by the ones who count on me I’ve walked this road without complaining, Took each hill and made the climb Now I thank God for what they gave me— The strength was growing all this time I EARN my keep Got work to finish before I sleep Some days run hard, some nights run deep But I’d walk this road again on these same two feet I earn my keep
