Lyrics

Yes, Boys Do Cry Sometimes (Verse 1) Shoulders built like mountains, jaw carved out of stone Walk this Pikeville dirt path feelin' quite alone Got the kind of blue eyes make the girls all stare Wear these calloused knuckles like a cross I bear Down on Blackberry Creek, in that rusty double-wide Hid that broke-string guitar deep down safe inside Found it by the highway, six years old and scared Played out Daddy's liquor snores, a secret life I shared Heard him slur, "You killed her," felt the belt bite deep and low Learned to choke the music back, not let the feelin' show (Chorus) They tell you build the walls high, boy, be a man of stone Keep the hurtin' buried, deep inside the bone Straighten up that backbone, don't you show the fear But some floods rise too heavy, year after lonely year Yeah, the dam can break, the ocean starts to rise Yes, boys do cry sometimes, behind these fighter's eyes (Verse 2) Left home at sixteen, punch fresh on my face Found a room with Jonesy, another sorry place Crawled the seams on bloody knees, breathed the black-lung air Worked the fields till sundown, showin' you I cared Every eighteen-hour day, scrapin' dirt and coal Was sendin' you to college, tryin' to make you whole You were my one soft place, my only whispered dream My anchor 'gainddddst the current of that dark Kentucky stream Then that movin' picture, shinin' on the screen Showed my anchor draggin' through a place I'd never been (Chorus) They tell you build the walls high, boy, be a man of stone Keep the hurtin' buried, deep inside the bone Straighten up that backbone, don't you show the fear But some floods rise too heavy, year after lonely year Yeah, the dam can break, the ocean starts to rise Yes, boys do cry sometimes, behind these fighter's eyes (Bridge) This body's built for battle, muscle hard and tight Thought I'd carved out somethin' that could stand against the night But muscle can't stop memories, can't outrun the fear And betrayal's got a sharp edge, cuts you ear to ear This choked-up voice inside me, the songs I couldn't free Screamin' silent thunder, now spillin' out of me It ain't weakness breakin', maybe it's the start Of lettin' out the poet trapped inside this bleedin' heart (Chorus) They tell you build the walls high, boy, be a man of stone Keep the hurtin' buried, deep inside the bone Straighten up that backbone, don't you show the fear But some floods rise too heavy, year after lonely year Yeah, the dam can break, the ocean starts to rise Yes, boys do cry sometimes, behind these fighter's eyes (Outro) So I hold this rescued six-string, scarred up just like me Let the teardrops fall like acid rain, finally runnin' free Underneath this coal town moon, lettin' the pain bleed through... Yes, boys do cry sometimes... tonight, this boy does too. (Guitar fades out slowly, leaving a resonant, aching chord)