They left me in this battle field
Where the sunlight cut my eyes
I brave the fray but I was afraid
When my best friend’s mother died
I was raised an honest man
But taught an honest man must learn to lie

And this road was built by honest men
Who honest lived and honest died
And this road was built by honest men
Who honest lived and honest died

My darling put a spear in me
From my blind side, through my back
She really made a fool of me
But the fool in me just wants her back
But foolish men are first to find
That fooling fools ain’t fooling facts

And this road was built by foolish men
Who fought like fools for the things they lack
And this road was built by foolish men
Who fought like fools for the things they lack

I keeps my pistol off the safety catch
And a crowbar in my jeans
The devil tells me to “look alive”
So I keeps an apple on each sleeve
I'm miles away from that shining light
But I know that’s where I ought to be

And this road was built by shining lights
But any chances lit is a chance to leave
And this road was built by shining lights
But any chances lit is a chance to leave

I scheme a mile a minute darling
You seem to run a mile a man
I'm done with all this dodging darling
I do the best with what I can
But these penniless predicaments
Are just more than a man can stand

And this road was built from nothing
But a hard idea and heavy hands
And this road was built from nothing
But a hard idea and heavy hands

I'm plagued by empty pockets pally
Empty heads and empty eyes
They salute my growling stomach
‘Cause they’re hungry for what’s on my mind
But thoughtful men are first to find
That thinking free don’t mean you’re fine

And this road was built by thoughtful men
Who thought like fools of the things they’d find
And this road was built by thoughtful men
Who thought like fools of the things they’d find