[Verse 1]
Only fools would race down Grist Mill Road
Let alone in angry weather
That's what I tell everyone I know
Now that I know better
That's a lesson I wish I would learned
Without having' to watch my Mustang burn
Before my best buddy had to wind up hurt
An' his whole life changed

[Chorus]
That's a lesson I wish I didn't learn the hard way

[Verse 2]
Only a fool would keep a diamond ring
In a box on the top of his closet
He came so close; he almost asked
It was right there in his pocket
That's a lesson I wish I would learned
Before standing in the back row of that church
Watching her daddy giving her
To the man who took my place

[Chorus]
That's a lesson I wish I didn't learn the hard way

[Bridge]
Regret's been known to give a man a beating'
But I ain’t in the mood for fighting' back this evening'

[Verse 3]
Only fools don't take the time of day
They stay too busy running'
An' to stop just once to tell their Dad
Just how much they love him
That's a lesson I wish I would learned
Before that phone call came an' it was her
No, Mamma never had to say a word
I knew it was too late

[Chorus]
That's a lesson I wish I didn't learn the hard way

[Outro]
The hard way
The hard way
The hard way

Eric Church

Eric Church is an American country music singer-songwriter from Granite Falls, North Carolina. After graduating from Appalachian State University with a business degree in 2000, Eric became engaged to a Spanish teacher from Lenior, NC whose father attempted to deter his musical aspirations by offering him a corporate career in Denver. After turning down her father’s offer, Church’s ex-fiance broke the engagement, giving Church motivation to move to Nashville and begin focusing solely on his music. Recollections of this turning point in Church’s life are heard throughout his lyrical portfolio (most prominently in “Those I’ve Loved”).

After a period of being overlooked by record labels and producers, Church was eventually signed to Capitol Records in 2006, making his debut with the album, Sinners Like Me. The album produced four singles on the Billboard Country Chart, “How ‘Bout You,” “Two Pink Lines,” “Guys Like Me,” and the album’s title track.

His second album, 2009’s Carolina, produced three more “Smoke a Little Smoke,” “Love Your Love the Most,” and “Hell on the Heart.”

From the albums