I was always falling out of trees
And slipping in the rain
Momma sighed as she nursed my scratches and scraps
"Girl, why you gotta learn the hard way?"

I fell fast, around seventeen
Momma said she saw it coming
As we drove off in his jacked up car
"Girl, Why you gotta learn the hard way?"

I never liked the sound of good advice
When I should have thought it over, I never did think twice
I like to play with matches though I've had to walk through fire
I don't have an excuse, it's just the way my heart was wired
Oh, I learn the hard way

I'm drawn to trouble
My heart just couldn't tell
I courted disaster and each dance ended just the same
All my friends said, "Why you've gotta learn the hard way?"

Well, I never liked the sound, the sound of that
And when I should have thought it over, well, I never did think twice
And I have no excuses, it's just the way my heart was wired
But I love to play with matches so I have to walk through fire
I learn the hard way

So why aren't you leaving or already gone?
Each time I believed before, that's right where it all went wrong
But you swear you love me and I think you mean it
You say you're ganna stand by every promise that you make
It's good you plan to stick around forever and a day
'Cause I learn the hard way
I learn the hard way