I Made a Resolution

Well I woke up this morning
 And I made a resolution
 I said, "I'm never going to sing
 Another sad song again."
 I decided I'd admit it
 I am not an intellectual
 No the words, they never come easy
 Unless I'm singing them
 And the hills that I was born in
 Will never leave me
 No matter how hard I try
 And then my brother was murdered
 While my father was in prison
 And the girl that I sometimes loved
 Up and moved away
 And my body filled up with blackness
 And the darkness, it wanted to drown me
 And I heard my father's footsteps catching up to me
 And he took me by the shoulders
 And he said, "Son, my hands are strong
 But I hope you have the strength to shake us free
 Shake us free, boy
 Shake us free, my son
 You'd better shake us free."
 And now I'm lying in a van
 In Chicago in the springtime
 And the rain outside that's falling
 Sounds just like popcorn
 But before I open my eyes
 I think I'll make this resolution
 "No, I'm never going to sing another
 Sad song for as long as I live!"
 And the light coming through the window
 Is making everything glow
 And he took me by the shoulders and he said
 "Son, I know my hands are strong
 But I hope you have the strength
 To shake us free
 Shake us free
 Shake us free
 Shake us free, my son!"
 I made a resolution
 I made a resolution
 I made a resolution
 I made a resolution