[Verse] Oh the hells I put myself through The fights I didn’t need to fight This thick head of mine ya couldn’t get through Had to do it wrong just to get it right ...just to get it right [Chorus] I learned the Hard Way but the hard way taught me well the hard way Sure put this boy through some hell The hard way it taught me how to tell The right way from the wrong and on which side I belong on       Deep are the memories as a young boy of the lessons that I learned My mama warnin’ me that fire is no toy Ya play with fire boy and you get burned ...Oh I got burned [Chorus] I learned the Hard Way but the hard way taught me well the hard way Sure put this boy through some hell The hard way it taught me how to tell The right way from the wrong and on which side I belong on       What others learned in Sunday school I learned by gettin’ black n’ blue [Chorus] I learned the Hard Way but the hard way taught me well the hard way Sure put this boy through some hell The hard way it taught me how to tell The right way from the wrong and on which side I belong on       Oh the hells I put myself through The fights I didn’t need to fight This thick head of mine ya couldn’t get through Had to do it wrong just to get it right ...just to get it right [Chorus] I learned the Hard Way but the hard way taught me well the hard way Sure put this boy through some hell The hard way it taught me how to tell The right way from the wrong and on which side I belong on       The hard way I learned the hard way I learned the hard way