"It Says Here You're From Houston: You're Certified To Drive A Truck.
"It Doesn't Say What You Been Doin' The Last Five Years."
Then I Watched His Eyes Keep Readin', Then I Watched His Eyes Look Up,
An' Watched Another Job I Needed Disappear.
'Cause When They Get To The Line: "Have You Been Convicted Of A Crime?"
They Say: "Thanks For Comin' In," An' They Don't Call You Back.
I Ain't Askin' For Every Job Under The Sun:
I Just Want One Second Chance.

On August Twenty-second, Well, Little Jacob's Turnin' Five,
But His Momma Moved Him Half-a-state Away.
I Left Another Message On Her Phone At Home Last Night,
An' She Fin'lly Had Her Lawyer Call Today.
She Knows I Can't Afford To Take This Thing To Court,
And I'm Tryin' Hard To Make Her Understand:
I Ain't Askin' For Every Weekend Of Every Month,
I Just Want One Second Chance.

I Was Young An' I Was Stupid: I Regret It Every Day.
I Ain't Sayin' I Didn't Do It But I 've Paid For My Mistakes.
It's A Lost And Empty Feelin' When They Don't Want You Around,
Yeah, I Finally Got My Freedom But What Good Is It Now?

There's Some Days When It Feels Like It's Been A Hundred Years;
Sometimes It Feels Like Only Yesterday.
We Were Paintin' Jacob's Nursery, Countin' Days Till He Was Here.
Next Thing I Knew, I'd Thrown It All Away.
Now I Know I Can't Go Back To The Life I Used To Have,
When I Still Held The Whole World In My Hands:
I Had A Job, I Had A Wife, I Had A Son,
Now I Just Want One Second Chance.