Daddy worked the same job for twenty-some odd years Overtime and weekends never bothered him a bit Well, Momma cooked and cleaned and sometimes on the side She'd sell Mary Kay around holidays to make an extra dime Keepin' the lights on Mmm Me and my kid brother, man, we thought we had it made Shoes were on our feet, food was on our plates We never understood why when Daddy said the prayer Before he'd say Amen, he'd thank the Man upstairs For keepin' the lights on Yeah, hard times they come and they go There's smooth rides, there's highs and there's lows There's blue skies and sunshine The winds change, and storm clouds But somehow there always is enough Mmm Oh Honky-tonks and highways can be hell on a soul The neon life and late nights sure make a young man old But me and this old guitar have got a promise that we've made Heaven knows that it ain't easy keepin' them ends tied, but hey We're keepin' the lights on Oh, we're keepin' the lights on We're keepin' the lights on, oh Mmm