I can't sell my mama short on loving me
 I guess that's why she let me go so far
 Mama try to stopped me short of stealing
 I guess that's why I had to steal that car

She told me not to smoke it
 But I did and it took me far away
 And I turned out to be
 The only hell my mama ever raised

Well, I rolled into Atlanta, stolen tags and almost out of gas
 I had to get some money, and lately I'd learned how to get it fast
 Those neon lights was calling me and somehow I just had to get downtown
 So I reached into the glove box, another liquor store went down

And I sing 'Precious memories', take me back to the good ol' days
 Let me hear mama singing, 'Rock of ages' cleft for me
 She tried to turn me on to Jesus, but I turned on to the devil's ways
 And I turned out to be the only hell my mama ever raised

When they put them handcuffs on me, Lord how I fought to resist
 But agent clamped 'em tighter, 'til that metal bit into my wrist
 They took my belt and my billfold, my fingerprints, and the profile of my face
 Then they locked away the only hell my mama ever ever raised

And I sing 'Precious memories', take me back to the good ol' days
 Let me hear mama singing, 'Rock of ages' cleft for me
 She tried to turn me on to Jesus, but I turned on to the devil's ways
 And I turned out to be the only hell my mama ever raised
 She tried to turn me on to Jesus, but I turned on to the devil's ways
 And I turned out to be the only hell my mama ever raised


Read more: Johnny Paycheck - I'm The Only Hell (My Mama Ever Raised) Lyrics | MetroLyrics