His daddy said son you oughta quit dreamin'
Put your feet on the ground and your future in the hands of the Lord
But the boy said no that ain't enough dad
All you got here is a ceilin' four walls and a floor

He left his home in Buckalou County
He went thumbin' and sleepin' on the roadside livin' in jeans
Along about Pittsburgh he got him a good job
Bought him a brand new Malibu Chevy that was part of his dreams

He met a pretty girl she was thinkin' of a family
He bought a lotta tapes for his Malibu Chevy but he didn't want more
And the pretty girl said boy you oughta slow down
He said who needs a ceilin' four walls and a floor

He did a little drinkin' he did a little gamblin'
Shot a little nine ball bet a little money on the football games
He picked up a habit he got it on the sidewalk
His habit got bigger but his weekly paycheck stayed the same

His daddy wrote letters but he never answered
The pretty girl begged him to give up the habit and to work on a change
It was a real small gun and a real small robbery
They locked him up and they traded him a number for his name

It ain't no big news it ain't no big story
You didn't see it in the paper so I guess we oughta put it in a song
The boy got hooked and he couldn't get unhooked
And it's happenin' somewhere now and maybe that's what's wrong

His daddy said son you oughta quit dreamin'...