[Intro] Well now I tried being reasonable Tried being nice Turns out trouble works overtime And it never asks the price [Verse 1] Got a black coffee burning and a long day's stare Got a bad reputation hanging thick in the air I have worked in the heat till my knuckles went numb And I have smiled at trouble when the trouble would come I can spot a crooked promise from across the room I can hear a cheap excuse like a preacher hears doom You can dress up a lie, put a shine on the shoes But the truth comes walking in and it never needs an introduction I have got a little patience and a whole lot of nerve I have given out respect that I did not get returned Now I keep my cards close and my intentions plain I do not scare real easy and I do not play games [Pre Chorus] Hear those strings growl Feel that floor shake I have been pushed around Now I know what it takes [Chorus] Got the devil on my payroll And the blues in my bones Got a heart made of iron And a mind of my own I can walk through the fire With a grin on my face I have learned how to stand When the world wants my place Devil on my payroll Trouble knows my name I do not run from the weather I was raised in the rain [Verse 2] I have seen a loud mouth turn quiet when the bill came due Seen a man sell his soul for a dollar or two Seen a good friend stay when the cupboard was bare Seen a stranger show more heart than the people who were there That is why I do not measure a man by his talk I watch how he behaves when there is nobody to applaud I have made a few mistakes that I carry with pride Not because they were pretty, but I learned from the ride Now the years have put a little more gravel in my voice And I know being a man means you live with your choice I can laugh at my failures, I can own what I did I can stare down tomorrow like I stared down a kid I am not asking forgiveness for the life that I chose I am just getting started and the story still grows [Pre Chorus] Hear those strings growl Feel that floor shake I have been pushed around Now I know what it takes [Chorus] Got the devil on my payroll And the blues in my bones Got a heart made of iron And a mind of my own I can walk through the fire With a grin on my face I have learned how to stand When the world wants my place Devil on my payroll Trouble knows my name I do not run from the weather I was raised in the rain [Bridge] I do not need a warning I do not need a sign I have been through enough To recognize the line I can live with my mistakes I can answer for my deeds But nobody gets to tell me What a man like me needs [Guitar Solo] [Breakdown] One low string One hard stare Let that dirty guitar Cut through the air [Final Chorus] Got the devil on my payroll And the blues in my bones Got a heart made of iron And a mind of my own I can walk through the fire With a grin on my face I have learned how to stand When the world wants my place Devil on my payroll Let the whole room know I have danced with the trouble And I still run the show [Outro] Clock out, devil The night is mine
