I came up the hard way, I had to work both night and day I came up the hard way, I had to work both night and day It`s a shame, shame, shame, that a poor man have to live this way I came up the hard way, they kept me workin` from sun to sun I came up the hard way, they kept me workin` from sun to sun Well it seems somehow or another, that a poor man`s work ain`t never done Well my mother sat down and told me, she said Son, don`t forget the golden rule My mother sat down and told me, she said Son, don`t forget the golden rule I had to go head-on and deal with it yes I did, cause I didn`t get, I didn`t get too far in school I came up the hard way, I had to work both night and day I came up the hard way, I had to work both night and day Ain`t it a shame, ain`t it a shame, that a poor man gotta live this way My mother sat down and told me, she said Son, don`t forget the golden rule My mother sat down and told me, she said Son, don`t forget the golden rule That`s all I had to deal with, because I didn`t get too, too far in school