Bb
Don't talk crooked, honey, walk the straight and narrow
Bb                            F
My mama tried to teach me the rules
F
She said, "If Jesus himself keeps his eye upon the sparrow
F                              Bb
Then surely he is watching you too"
Bb
Twenty-one years young, I rolled to hell's half acre
Bb                         F
I really got to kicking up ground
F
I was a mover and a shaker, a mean heart-breaker
F                        Bb
Now it's all coming back around


[Chorus]
               Eb     Bb
Tell ya it's a hard living
F
Broke down on the highway
F
Burned out in an ashtray
Eb     Bb
Hard living
F
Empty as a bottle
F
Right down to the bottom
       Eb     Bb     F
It's a hard living
         G#         Eb         Bb
Singing hallelujah, may I introduce ya
   G#      Eb        Bb
To ex-con little old me


[Verse 2]
Bb
Tangled and torn, I was trapped like a rabbit
Bb                                 F
Thought the only crime was getting caught
F
Now that I'm dressed in stripes, me and all my bad habits
F                               Bb
We got the time to give it some thought
Bb
Living in the past has been a full-time occupation
Bb                              F
I've got a thing for talking to ghosts
F
Never moving on can take an awful lot of patience
F                            Bb
And I'm a girl who's had the most


[Chorus]
               Eb     Bb
Tell ya it's a hard living
F
Broke down on the highway
F
Burned out in an ashtray
Eb     Bb
Hard living
F
Empty as a bottle
F
Right down to the bottom
       Eb     Bb    F
It's a hard living
        G#          Eb          Bb
Singing hallelujah, may I introduce ya
   G#     Eb         Bb
To ex-con little old me
        G#          Eb          Bb
Singing hallelujah, may I introduce ya
   G#     Eb         Bb
To ex-con little old me


[Bridge]
F
Armed robbery and a high-speed chase
    Gm                         Eb
The late night TV news anchors loved my face
F
I served my time but now the time has come
    Gm                   Eb          F
For me to get back in my mama's good grace


[Chorus]
       Eb     Bb
It's a hard living
       Eb     Bb
It's a hard living
               Eb     Bb    F
Tell ya it's a hard living
               Eb     Bb    F
Tell ya it's a hard living
               Eb     Bb
Tell ya it's a hard living
F
Broke down on the highway
F
Burned out in an ashtray
Eb     Bb
Hard living
F
Empty as a bottle
F
Right down to the bottom
       Eb     Bb    F
It's a hard living
        G#          Eb          Bb
Singing hallelujah, may I introduce ya
   G#     Eb         Bb
To ex-con little old me
        G#          Eb          Bb
Singing hallelujah, may I introduce ya
   G#     Eb         Bb
To ex-con little old me