I came home from college to see my old man
He was sittin' on the porch swing, with a book in his hand
He stared at my earring, and at my tattoo
He smiled and shook his head and said
It's good to see you
He chose his words carefully cause it was hard for me to come
And he knew I had ta temper and where I got it from
I waited for the sermon, the one I knew so well
But this time he wasn't preachin'
About heaven or hell
He said a real man knows the value of a woman
A real man has got nothin' to prove
He's strengthened by love
And the Lord up above
So do the best that you can
To be a real man
Could it be that I saw just a glimpse of his soul
Or maybe losin' Mama had just taken it's toll
He gave me his Bible, stained with tears he had cried
And I opened up the cover
Where he wrote inside
And it said
A real man has got nothin' to prove
He's strengthened by love
And the Lord up above
So do the best that you can
To be a real man
Do the best that you can
To be a real man