I grew up in a town where tough was a cigarette
And a souped-up car on a county road
Nothing much to do back then, so we'd make bets
On how much drink a guy could hold
And I heldin' my own
I learned to hold my own
Daddy worked some dead-end job at the concrete plant
Mama taught the Sunday Bible class
For eighteen years I remember thinkin'
That there was more to life than that
So I ran the streets to beat the devil
Goin' just as fast as I could fly
Cause I came here to live
I didn't come here to die
Mama used to wait for me with the porch light on
Worry about her little boy till I got home
Daddy, he'd say, listen, son
Back then there wasn't much
That I didn't already know
I reckon I was doin' close to eighty
When I felt the tire slip out from underneath
And I never set out lookin' for Jesus
So I guess Jesus come lookin' for me
And he found me upside down in a ditch
Smokin' gas in my eyes
And he said, son, you came here to live
You didn't come here to die
Sunday mornin' I got up and I went to church
That summer I got a job and I went to work
I met a girl in town
Put some money down on a little house
With a yard
Our little boy was due in September
But he came early in July
For eighteen days all I remember
Was sittin' there at his side
Sayin', son, open up your eyes
Just open up your eyes
Cause you came here to live
You didn't come here to die
Son, you came here to live
You didn't come here to die
Son, you came here to live
you